Persona Academy
by ZweihanderKnight
Summary: High school student Keita Saeki begins to attend a school known as St. Lucia's Academy for the Gifted. Though seemingly normal at the surface, this school holds a secret purpose and Keita awakens to a world beyond anything he could have possibly imagined.
1. Chapter 1: New Student

Hello everyone, I'm ZweihanderKnight. Welcome to "Persona Academy"! Thanks for checking my story out and I hope you enjoy! I'd appreciate any reviews, but at the same time, if it's just nonsensical insults then keep it to yourself, please. Anyways! Without further a due, enjoy the first chapter of "Persona Academy"! :D

Persona Academy

Chapter 1: New Student

Surrounded by the crashing waves of the ocean, life carries on for the residents of a massive Japanese city that towers over the surf around it. Whether this place is peaceful or not is a matter of opinion. For some, the hectic city life by the sea can be overwhelming. But for many people, it is all they have ever known. For many, it is simply how it is. For many, it is simply home. Their home…Tsukimura

Amongst the hustle and bustle of this enormous city, a sleek black car drove amongst the mob of everyday men and women driving to work or running errands. On the right side of this car, there was an emblem proudly displayed for all to see.

It was a white shield-like emblem with gold and red edges and two symbols adorning it. A large white masquerade-like mask with half of it blackened was the main stay. The second was a banner at the bottom, with a name inside of it; the name of his destination.

Inside of this car, a driver manned the wheel of the sleek vehicle, paying no mind to anything, not even the passenger in the back seat of the car. All he thought of was the road and his destination.

"Arrive a day early for tour of campus" The passenger, a young man, read these words back to himself in his head from a folded piece of paper he had received. His messy bright red hair went down to his neck and bore a contrast to his clothes, a fancy looking black and white uniform with a navy blue t-shirt replacing the usual dress shirt. On the left side of the blazer, a metal badge with the same emblem on the car glinted regally.

The student looked out the window, his dark blue eyes examining the world outside. It was an industrial maze, a paragon of urban Japan. The people walked in tight, but unorganized mobs. Businessmen and women, married couples with young children and teenagers made up the bulk of the crowd the student saw. Lights glowed to beckon the crowd to come to the stores they inhabited. Much larger lights remained dormant, waiting for the sun to set before coming to life.

"Hey driver, ummm…how much longer" He asked, getting antsy from all of the driving that he had been through today.

"Shouldn't take too much longer"

"Oh yeah…?" The student's eyes lit up.

The driver nodded.

"Finally…" The student wanted to get out of this car as fast as he could. It had been a long journey to where he was now. About 3 hours to the airport from his home, 2 planes with so many delays it wasn't even funny and to top it all off, a 4 hour car drive with a driver who couldn't hold up a conversation to save his life. Speaking of which…

"There it is coming up".

The student boy looked out of the windshield. The sight before him left him speechless.

A massive metropolis of a campus, surrounded by pearly white walls stood up above its surroundings like a fortress. There were roads surrounding it, with bus stops and bike routes all around, for students who wanted to go into the city. In front of the school was a large gothic styled gate with the very same emblem on the car and the student's uniform displayed at the peak of its arch.

"Here's your stop" The driver told the student as the car came to a stop.

"Thanks" The student thanked the driver for his service as he exited the car, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and rolling his suitcase behind him. The car drove out of sight.

"Finally I made it!" He cheered in his head.

"Hey there!" A voice called out.

"Huh?" The student boy looked to see a woman walking out of a door to the side of the main entrance. She looked a few years older than he was, with long, silky brown hair and attentive eyes of the same color. Her attire was similar to his, being a black and white uniform with an emblem badge on the right side.

"You must be the new student I was told about" She greeted him kindly, extending her hand out to him.

He took it enthusiastically and shook her hand. "Y-yes I am!" He wasn't able to hold back his eagerness.

"My name's Marina Tsujimoto" She introduced herself in an enthusiastic manor.

"I'm Keita Saeki" He answered.

"Well Saeki-kun, welcome to St. Lucia's Academy for the Gifted" Marina proclaimed proudly, speaking the name that was on the emblem all along; the name of the school that Keita was now going to attend. "We should get moving. I'll be giving your tour of the campus today" She began to walk inside.

"Okay, but don't walk too fast. I've got a lot of junk to carry with me" Keita begged, feeling a bead of sweat roll down his head.

"Sure thing" Marina agreed.

The pair walked through campus as Marina spoke about some of the buildings on campus at St. Lucia's. There was an on-campus pharmacy and doctor's office, a couple of small food and beverage facilities, a gym and plenty of other things that Keita lost count of as he scanned his surroundings eagerly.

"So, how far up does this school go with the grades?" Keita asked.

"High school through college" Marina explained.

"Are you serious? So there are college students here?" Keita inquired further.

"Yeah, but don't worry, they're tame…for the most part"

"For the most part…?" Keita began to worry.

"It's like any other school, you've got your trouble makers and your good kids" Marina chuckled. "It's nothing to worry about, I promise"

"But I thought this was a school for really smart kids" Keita said, confused.

"Not exactly, this school admits its students based on certain talents, not intellect or money" Marina clarified.

"Certain talents…?" Keita was loosing track of what was going on the more he asked questions. "I'm sorry I'm asking so many questions about this. It's just that…when my parents applied me for this school, they interviewed me and all they asked were average questions about my social life and family with maybe a couple of actual school questions on a test. I mean I'm no Einstein, but they said my interview went well"

"Everything will make more sense soon enough" Marina eased him.

"Okay, I'll take your word for it Marina-senpai" Keita said, smiling to hide his disappointment at not getting an answer.

Their walk around campus stopped at a grassy square, with 4 high standing buildings at each side.

"These are our dorms. They're co-ed and fully stocked with anything our students would need"

"Co-ed, huh? Hmmm" Keita rubbed his chin. His curiosity was piqued by that statement.

"Boys and girls are separated by floors, Mr. Saeki" Marina teased.

"H-huh? I knew that!" Keita yelped nervously.

Marina laughed, amused by his reaction. "So, which dorm are you gonna be staying in?" She asked him.

Keita's face went blank and another bead of swear ran down his face. "I…have no clue" Keita scratched the back of his head, still shaken.

"Oh boy…" Marina groaned. "Well, I know for sure the two in the right corner aren't yours. Those are for college level students only."

"There's a start" Keita said, trying to be optimistic.

"You mind staying here for a second, I'll go check with the office" Marina asked him, a look of guilt on her face.

"No problem" Keita sat on a nearby bench, placing his backpack next to him. As Marina ran off, Keita looked around. Looking past how beautiful the campus was, something seemed…off. Throughout the entire tour, there weren't any students or maintenance staff walking around anywhere. "Perhaps they're in class or something" He thought to himself. "But still, I'd expect to see _someone_ on campus at this time aside from us".

Keita remembered the notice he received from the school telling him to arrive early. "I can't be the only person here early can I?"

In the middle of his thoughts, the door to the dorm he was next to opened up. He looked to the person that walked out with eyes as wide as saucers.

The guy who walked out was a behemoth of a man, standing at a staggering seven feet tall, with a uniform that looked like it was custom made for him to match his size. His black hair was medium length, with a fringe that partially covered his face. "Hmmm…?" He noticed Keita sitting on the bench.

"GAH! I mean um, hey, how's it going? I'm Keita! So, uh…How's the weather up there? Heh heh…" Keita laughed nervously as the intimidating man walked to him. "Heh heh, I am sooooo screwed" Keita's head began pouring sweat.

"Hey Saeki-kun, I'm back!" He could hear Marina's voice coming in from behind him.

"Marina-senpai!" Keita yelped, wanting to jump behind her to get away from the giant that was approaching him.

"Ah, I see you've met Kaz" She seemed calm despite how huge this guy was.

"Kaz…?" Keita was confused.

"That's my name" The tall man spoke. His voice was very deep and calming.

"Ohhhh, okay. So what's that short for?"

"His full name is Kazuhiro Ishimura"

"Even his name is huge!" Keita's nervousness even leaked over into his thoughts.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, you know" Kaz said, seeing that Keita was nervous.

"Yeah, Kaz may be a big stoic-looking guy, but trust me, he's a big teddy bear" Marina giggled. Kaz averted his gaze in embarrassment, huffing slightly.

Keita was relieved beyond words knowing he wasn't going to have his face caved in. "Wait, so you two know each other?" He asked as he looked back and forth at the two.

"I know him from home-economics class" Marina explained quickly.

"Oh, so you two are classmates?"

"Nope, I teach him"

"Say wha-?" Keita's eyes widened, startled.

"Yeah, I'm a part time teacher's assistant" Marina explained. "Hence, this badge on my uniform" She pointed to a small badge above her school emblem, with the words 'TA: Marina Tsujimoto' on it.

"Cool…" Was all Keita could say. His brain was officially going on the fritz.

"Anyways, it turns out this is the dorm you'll be staying in, same as Kaz" Marina handed Keita a card and key with a room number on it. "Hey Kaz, do you mind showing him around for a while? I need to prepare for the upcoming classes" Marina asked him.

"Okay" Kaz agreed, nodding.

"Thanks. Oh and Saeki-kun, good luck at St. Lucia's. I'll stop by to visit!" Marina yelled, running off.

"Thanks! Sounds like a plan!" Keita yelled as Marina ran off out of sight. He turned to Kaz. "So, what's on the agenda now?"

"Let's drop your stuff off first" Kaz suggested as he walked up the stairs.

"Alright" Keita followed him as fast as he could, desperately pulling his suitcase up the stairs.

The pair walked into the dorm. The room he entered seemed to be a foyer of sorts, with a front desk at the door, a small table and 2 couches in the center and 3 hallways. From left to right, words 'Rooms', 'Lounge' and 'Cafeteria were over each one of the hallways respectively. The design of the dorm was modern with western influence evident in its architecture and a primarily green, white and black color scheme.

"Whoa, nice" Keita mumbled as he walked though. He followed Kaz further until finally he reached the stairs that led to the dorm rooms. Luckily for Keita, the boy's dorms were right up the stairs, while the girls were another flight up. "Whew, no more stairs for me"

"Which way is room 2-A?" Keita asked. "2-A…it's this way" Kaz pointed to the right side of the hall and walked until they reached a door with a gold panel reading '2-A' on it.

Keita pulled out the key he received and opened the door with his shoulder. He walked inside and found the room mostly stocked up. Surprisingly, the room had a stair case and upper floor, which had a bed of its own, aside from the one on ground level. There was a small kitchen, bathroom, TV and even a couch.

"How the hell did they get a couch in here?" Keiichi said in his head, surprised. In the corner, he noticed a couple of bags sitting on the couch. "So whose crap is this?" Keita asked as he put his stuff down.

"That _crap_ would be mine" Kaz said, sounding a bit offended.

"O-Oh! I'm sorry, man. I-I must be in the wrong room. I'll just get out of your way and-"

"This is your room, but it's mine as well. 2 or 3 students share a dorm room as roommates" Kaz explained.

"Okay, that makes sense. Kinda like a college dorm, right?"

"Exactly"

"Alright! Well in that case, I call top bunk!" Keita scurried up the small staircase and threw his stuff in. He lied down on the bed and looked around his small alcove. "Oh yeah, this will do nicely!" He sighed lazily, about to fall asleep.

"We still have some ground to cover" Kaz said, a bit disappointed that Keiichi was already planning to go to bed.

"Damn it! Ah, alright" Keita climbed back down the stairs reluctantly. "So where to, Big Guy" He asked.

"I might as well show you the rest of the dorm" Kaz shrugged as he walked out of the room, Keita following behind him.

As the two walked, Keita looked around and noticed the lack of sound. It was somewhat pleasant to him. "It's pretty quiet around here, huh?"

"Enjoy it while it lasts" Kaz groaned, looking around as though he expected something or someone to burst through the doors.

"What do you mean?"

"I'll let you see for yourself when the other students show up."

"Oh yeah about that, are we the only students here right now?" Keita asked. "I mean, when Marina-senpai was giving me the tour around, I don't think I saw any students walking around."

"Well, classes don't start until tomorrow and the other students don't show up until later this afternoon."

"So, I just got here early?" Keita tried to clarify.

"Yep, same as me" Kaz confirmed him.

"Okay…at least I know there's a point to me being here" Keita sighed. "Anyway, Kaz I have a question!"

"Ask away" He replied, continuing his stride.

"How does this school admit its students?"

"Huh?" He stopped walking.

"You see, I asked Marina-senpai and she told me that this school accepts students because they have _certain talents_ not money or grades. What does that mean? I mean it's not like I went to a talent agency or anything"

Kaz became silent for a moment, until finally he opened his mouth. "You'll see soon enough."

"Ugh, this shtick again" Keita groaned in his head. "Guess I'll just have to keep my mouth shut for a little while longer."

Kaz briefly showed Keita around the rest of the dorm. The lounge was an enormous room, with a large TV, plenty of couches, chairs and a few vending machines. The cafeteria was a typical dorm cafeteria, with a long row for food pick-up and a bunch of long tables.

"Well, that's everything" Kaz mumbled, leaning against a nearby wall. "Is something wrong?"

Keita leaned against the wall as well. "When did you say the other students were coming in?"

"Let's see…students arrive...in a few minutes actually!" Kaz answered, startled slightly.

"Crap! We gotta go then!"

"Right, follow me" Kaz walked quickly out the door.

"Lead the way! Vamonos!" Keita yelled.

The pair ran out of the dorm, as the school began to come to life.


	2. Chapter 2: Welcoming

Hello again everyone! :) Here's chapter 2 of "Persona Academy". Thanks to those who have reviewed the first chapter. Without further a due, let's get this train rolling! o3o

Persona Academy

Chapter 2: Welcoming

Keita and Kaz ran a fair distance from the dorm, running into the large quad of the campus…or rather they _tried_ to run into the quad. In almost no time at all, it seemed the school had almost awakened from a deep sleep.

"Oh…my….god" Keita mumbled as he scanned the enormous mob of people that had all gathered into this quad. There were so many students of varying ages socializing amongst each other, all unified by the same black and white uniforms.

"Is this everyone?" Keita mumbled to Kaz through agape lips.

"I doubt it. This is a pretty small crowd" Kaz answered.

"THIS is a small crowd?" Keita's head thrashed to the side, looking at Kaz in astonishment.

Kaz nodded to him. "You'd be surprised"

"Hey! Kaz! Saeki-kun!" A voice was heard just barely over the roar of the crowd. Keita and Kaz looked to where the voice came from to see Marina barely squeeze out of the crowd and run towards them. "Glad to see you both made it".

"Ah, it's no big deal" Keita replied slyly, scratching the back of his head.

"Of course, Marina-senpai" Kaz answered to her.

"Wait…Senpai…?" Keita asked, looking at Kaz.

"Yeah, Marina-san is my senpai too. You're a junior, right?" Kaz inquired, curiously.

"Yeah…"

"I'm the same grade level as you if that's the case"

"Damn! Wouldn't have guessed" Keita yelped, astonished at this. "I would've figured you'd be around her age and grade, if not higher".

"I'm only 17, Keita" Kaz said sheepishly.

"Same age as me and yet he still makes me look like a shrimp" Keita whined to himself internally. "I see…"

"Anyways, you guys ready?" Marina asked, looking like she was going to burst with excitement.

"Ready for what?" Keita asked back.

"You don't know?" Marina's eyes grew wide with surprise.

"I'm afraid I'm kinda new to this party. Heh heh" Keita replied jokingly, anxiety creeping up on him.

"The principal of St. Lucia's is going to welcome the students" Marina clarified.

"The principal…?"

"Principal Izumi. He's the one who first founded this place" Marina explained.

"Ah, so he's an old geezer, huh?" Keita asked.

"Hmmmm, you'll see"

"What does that mean?" Keita asked. "This is getting weirder and weirder".

"Attention everyone…The welcoming ceremony for the students of St. Lucia's Academy for the Gifted is about to begin" A voice suddenly spoke over the intercom.

"Alright, follow me, I'll get you guys a good spot to watch" Marina ran off into the crowd. Keita and Kaz obliged and followed her as best as they could, until finally, they reached a spot in the crowd where they could easily view the stage.

Suddenly, without a word of say so, the crowd went deathly silent. "What the hell…?" Keita mumbled as he looked around him. As he scanned, he looked up at the stage.

From the side of the stage, a man stepped up. He looked no older than 30, with medium length black hair that waved lightly in the autumn breeze and eyes that he kept closed as he walked up to the podium, which was adorned with the St. Lucia emblem. He pressed both of his hands on the podium with his head down. Suddenly, the once calm breeze picked up. The nearby cherry blossom trees released a light flurry of petals through the air in response, adding a surreal effect to everything.

"That's him?" Keita whispered to Marina. She nodded in confirmation, waiting attentively for him to speak.

"THAT'S the guy who founded this place? He looks younger than my dad!" Keita thought flabbergasted. It was obvious just by his mere presence that he demanded respect, but he didn't seem arrogant.

As the wind calmed, the man, Principal Izumi, faced the massive crowd of students and opened his eyes, indigo and full of wisdom. A small smile spread across his face as he opened his mouth and began to speak.

"Thank you for joining me here today everyone. It does my heart good to see all of your bright faces, gathered in one place. For my old friends here who are returning for another year, I'm glad to welcome you back. For new friends who are barely joining us today, I'd like to welcome you, not only as a student, but as family. Welcome to St. Lucia's Academy for the Gifted"

The crowd of students erupted into applause at the words of their principal. Keita himself couldn't believe it himself that he was clapping along.

"Each and every one of you was chosen to attend this school because you showed you had the gift of character and mind that will allow you to do great things for the world. If we all work together to achieve our goals, I believe we could make our home and the rest of the world a better place to live. I wish you all the best of luck for your future endeavors. Thank you" With the last words said, Principal Izumi stepped away from the podium and exited the stage from the left side with the roar of the crowd accompanying him.

"He's quite the speaker, huh?" Marina asked, nudging Keita's shoulder.

"No kidding" Keita agreed.

"Crazy thing is, he never uses a script" Marina pointed out. "In the time I've been here, all of his speeches are different".

"Pretty impressive, he sounds like a cool guy" Keita complimented. He turned around, seeing the mob of students disbanding to different areas of the campus. "So, what do we do now?" He asked as he turned to face Kaz and Marina.

"Well, since I finished up before I got here I can hang out with you guys for awhile if you like" Marina offered.

"I'm fine with that, what about you Kaz?" Keita asked.

"I don't mind".

"Then it's settled! We'll go and" Before Keita could finish his sentence, a loud growling sound came from him.

"Eep! What was that? A monster?" Marina yelped.

"My stomach" Keita murmured.

"Your stomach…?" She asked.

"Heh heh, anywhere I can get some food? I haven't eaten anything since I got on the last plane here" Keita asked, a bit embarrassed.

"Well, the cafeteria…"

"I said FOOD! Not Styrofoam!" Keita interrupted loudly.

"There's a takoyaki stand around here" Kaz added.

"Now you're speaking my language!" Keita yelled happily. "Lead the way, Big Guy!" He followed Kaz and Marina as they headed to the aforementioned takoyaki stand.

They only walked a short distance before Keita's entire body perked up and his nose went in the air. He inhaled deeply. "Ahhhhh, just like home" Keita sighed.

"I have a feeling the guy running the stand is gonna know him by name before the semester is half through" Marina teased, amused by his reaction to the mere scent of the food.

"It wouldn't surprise me" Kaz agreed.

"Hey! You slowpokes gonna get in line or what? Or am I gonna have to eat all your shares by myself?" Keita yelled to the two.

"Don't you dare! I'm hungry too!" Marina yelled, running behind him as Kaz followed behind.

After a moment of waiting behind a small line, Keita was up. "Hey, so what's the largest size we can order?" Keita's eyes were glued to the chef's nimble movements as he poured batter and flipped the fried morsels with chopsticks so they formed their round shape.

"A box of ten" He said, brushing his brow with a towel before continuing his routine.

"Can I get…twenty?" Keita asked casually.

The chef nearly dropped his chopsticks upon hearing that. "Are you serious?" He asked, not believing what he just heard.

"Hell yeah, my good man!" Keita replied as he placed his money up front.

The chef laughed at Keita's enthusiasm. "You got it, kid!" In no time at all, the chef handed the box to Keita, nearly overflowing with the round octopus filled snacks.

"Thanks a lot!" Keita chirped as he walked to a nearby bench and took in the smell of the food. Kaz and Marina joined him as they began to eat.

"It's been forever since I've had these" Marina said, grabbing her skewer. "What do you think, Kaz?"

Silence was her only answer.

"Kaz…?"

Marina looked to her side and saw both Kaz and Keita stuffing their faces with their food.

"Oh jeez, breathe you guys! You're gonna pass out!" Marina barely managed to say through her laughter.

Before Marina could even finish chewing her first takoyaki ball, the boys finished, throwing their heads back and sighing in content.

"Kaz…I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship" Keita groaned happily as he gave Kaz a high five.

"Now I know who to call if I ever need to empty out the fridge" Marina said teasingly.

"The hell does that mean!" Keita said in a faked slurred voice.

"Ah, nothing" Marina brushed the statement off and ate at her own pace.

"I think I'm gonna like it here" Keita stated, looking up at the sky.

"That's good to hear" Kaz said, smiling.

"Well, I gotta get going. You two take care now" Marina said kindly as she got up and walked towards her dorm.

"Later!"

"See you tomorrow"

Keita got up from his seat, stretching his body. "Well, I'm ready to head to my room" He said.

"I might as well, too" Kaz agreed, getting up. The two headed to the dorm casually as the evening sun began to set and the once orange sky turned dark blue.

Keita walked through the doors of his dorm and could visibly see how different it was with students in it. Students were reading books and using laptops in the foyer, running from hall to hall to different places and a group of students setting up something in the lounge.

"Remember how I said to savor the silence when we were in here earlier?" Kaz asked with annoyance in his voice.

"Y-yeah" Keita nervously responded.

"In the day that was the last silence you'll have" Kaz groaned.

"It's at least better at night, right?"

"Usually…It depends on the day" Kaz explained.

The two spoke for a little while, taking a seat in the foyer.

"Hey Kaz, I'm heading to bed alright? I'm bushed" Keita mumbled as he walked away.

"Alright, goodnight, I'll wake you up for class tomorrow" Kaz stated.

"Yeah, yeah, you do that Big Guy" Keita said, not amused by the mention of academic classes.

Keita climbed up the stairs and went into his room, taking off his shoes and blazer before simply flopping on his bed.

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

"What a day. But I made it. I'm finally at St. Lucia's. However, I still have some questions about this place"

He continued to think to himself with closed eyes. "How come Marina-senpai and Kaz clammed up when I asked about how this school admits its students?"

As he lied down, he couldn't shake a strange feeling that had snuck up on him. He couldn't quite describe it, but it was almost like he could feel a presence in the room.

"Kaz…?" He asked, but as he turned to the door, but no one was there.

"I'm just tired. Just ignore it" He lectured to himself out loud.

But as he closed his eyes again and was on the brink of sleeping, the presence felt closer, almost as if it was right next to him and for a brief moment, Keita thought he heard something. Three words seemingly whispered in his ear as his mind finally drifted off.

"Thou art I…"


	3. Chapter 3: The First Class

Welcome to Chapter 3 of "Persona Academy" everyone! :) Keita's beginning his first day of class at St. Lucia's in this chapter. Let's see how his misadventure goes for him! I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I do writing it. Enjoy!

Persona Academy

Chapter 3: The First Class

The morning sun began to rise over St. Lucia's, announcing the start of a new day. Today was the day that classes began for the students. Schedules varied on times between college and high school students, but the impact of the day was still the same. They would have to get up early in the morning, prepare their supplies and endure a day of academic classes.

This was a reality that wasn't to kind to one Keita Saeki.

In his dorm room, Keita tossed and turned in his bed. He had an exhausting day yesterday, but now was the start of the real pain in his eyes.

"Hey…Keita…." He could hear a voice saying his name.

"Not now, ten more minutes…"He whined sleepily, turning away from the noise. Upon these words, he could hear large footsteps coming up the small staircase. Suddenly, his blanket was pulled away and a heavy object fell on his chest with a loud thud.

"GAAAH!" Keita screamed as he shot up. He looked to his chest and saw his backpack sitting there, almost mocking him. He looked up and saw Kaz, hunched over as he stood on the higher section of the room.

"Classes start today Keita. Let's go" Kaz ordered, stepping down.

"Alright, alright gimme a sec" Keita said as he put his shoes back on and threw his blazer over his body.

Keita went down the stairs and slung his backpack over his shoulder. "I'm ready" Keita announced in a half-hearted way.

"Okay, follow me" Kaz said as he walked out.

The two walked out of the dorm to be greeted by a blast of frigid morning air. It startled Keita at first, but his body adapted quickly. "So where're we going" Keita asked.

"The bulletin board" Kaz answered quickly.

"Why?"

"To find out where our classes are" Kaz elaborated.

"Okay, that makes sense" Keita said to himself.

A large crowd had gathered around a podium along the side of the dorm. Everyone was searching for their names on the list to find out where to go. Various students were either cheering for the teacher they got or groaning in dismay at the realization that they got a teacher they didn't like. Keita heard many of the students conversing amongst each other or to themselves.

"Hmmm, where's my name at?"

"YES! I got Marina-senpai's class!"

"NOOOOO! I GOT KUROKI!"

"Who's 'Kuroki'" Keita asked.

"The most evil man on the face of this campus!" A random student informed him, terrified.

Keita swallowed hard as he and Kaz squeezed through and looked for their names on the long list.

"Let's see…Saeki, Saeki, Saeki, Ah! Here I am! Let's see…I have…Oh no" Keita's finger shook as he saw the name of his homeroom teacher, "Kuroki S."

"K-K-Kaaaaz!" Keita stammered.

"I got this K-Kuroki guy as my homeroom teacher" Keita felt like a steel weight had just slammed on top of his head.

"You and me both" Kaz groaned in horror.

"W-Well, at least I ain't alone" Keita said nervously.

"Right…" Kaz kept looking at the list for a moment.

"Kaz…? You alright…?"

"Huh? Yeah I'm fine, let's go" Kaz said quickly.

The two walked into the designated building, switched shoes in their shoe lockers and headed up the longest staircase in the world for them. Not literally, but the dread of what was to happen made it seem like an eternity.

"Well, this is it. Hell awaits us beyond this door" Keita said as he took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

Keita examined the room and saw that there were a fair amount of students in it. None of them seemed to pay him any mind. He looked at the desk and saw this infamous man he had heard of earlier.

He was much older, in his forties with short dark brown hair, sunken-in cheek bones and dark blue eyes that pierced through Keita's soul the moment he looked at him. His posture and glare radiated an intimidating aura from around him.

"Hmph, what're you looking at?" He asked in an angry tone.

"N-Nothing, sir!" Keita yelped as he ran to a seat.

"Stop red hair. You stand up over here for now" He pointed to a spot in front of the whiteboard.

Keita swallowed hard, feeling sweat pour down his face. "Y-Yes, sir" Keita walked to the front of the whiteboard.

Kaz sat down, with worry on his face.

After a moment, the remainder of the students for the class sat in their seats as the bell rang.

The scary looking teacher stood up from his desk.

"Hey, class has started! Shut your traps! For those of you who know who I am, congratulations you're nothing special. For those of you who don't know me, I am Mr. Kuroki" He turned around and slammed his hand on the whiteboard near Keita.

"Agh! Jeez…" Keita groaned as he tried to calm himself.

"This guy is our new student. What's your name?" He demanded.

"U-uh…My name i-is…" The earlier shock of Mr. Kuroki slamming his hand right next to his had made it difficult for Keita to form coherent words.

"Speak up!" Mr. Kuroki yelled impatiently.

"My name is Keita Saeki!" He shouted, clenching his fists.

"Hmph, very well Mr. Saeki, pick any empty seat and get ready" Mr. Kuroki said, turning around to write something on the board.

"Yes, sir" Keita said as he sat in an empty seat behind Kaz.

"You okay?" Kaz whispered.

"Yeah, but jeez, who does this guy think he is?" Keita asked in a hushed but aggravated tone.

"He's one of the oldest teachers here and has gained a reputation as a very strict one" Kaz explained.

"He's got a cruel streak, too. You're lucky he let you off easy" A classmate said to Keita from behind.

"Many people say he's the reason why a lot of students quit this school every year" A girl student said.

"You've gotta be kidding me" Keita said in disbelief.

"Whoever is talking better shut their trap before I shut them myself!" He threatened, slamming his hand on his desk. The section of the class closest to his desk jumped up from their seats from the sudden noise.

"You've gotta be kidding. How can he get away with _that_" Keita quietly asked, frustrated.

"He's been in the school since it was founded. Schools preference I guess…" A student whispered.

"That's bullshit!" Keita thought angrily.

"Alright…no announcements to make and we already know everyone's here" Mr. Kuroki said nonchalantly.

Through a lengthy speech, Mr. Kuroki explained that he was going to be the class's literature teacher as well. They took notes for a large chunk of the day, since their literature class was right after homeroom. During this time, Keita tried to alleviate his stress by drawing in the cover of his notebook between sections of the notes. It helped slightly, but didn't change one grim fact.

"I'm gonna have to deal with this asshole all year" Keita groaned in his head.

The whole day, Keita could barely focus on what was going on in school. Even after Mr. Kuroki left, nothing seemed exciting. Apparently, most of the teachers that showed up were substituting for others. So officially, Keita had only met one of his actual teachers…and it had to be the worst one possible.

Finally, around 4:00 PM the final bell rang. Keita returned to the classroom to pick up his backpack after a quick trip to the bathroom. Students were heading out the door quickly as he tried to squeeze through. It was clear Keita wasn't the only one who was happy that school was out. He looked around and saw Kaz, sitting next to two people he didn't recognize.

"Hey, Kaz" Keita tried to get his attention.

"Hey" He answered back.

The two people sitting by Kaz turned around and looked at Keita.

The first was a girl, whom Keita had noticed earlier while taking notes. She had long dark blue hair that was tied into a long braid in the back and gold colored eyes that looked at him with a cold stare. She wore her uniform jacket open and wore black pants instead of a skirt. Keita felt a little nervous as she glared at him, adjusting her black rimmed glasses.

The second was a boy who seemed to be younger than Keita by a year or so. He had medium length bluish-silver hair with jagged edges around it and turquoise eyes that looked at him in curiosity. His blazer was worn closed with a black turtleneck sweater underneath. "He must be an underclassman" Keita thought.

Not letting himself be intimidated so easily, he walked over to the group.

"So…who're these guys?" Keita asked Kaz casually.

"They're friends of mine" Kaz answered.

"Ah, cool. Well, nice to meet you. I'm Keita Saeki" He offered his hand for the girl to shake.

"Put your hand down. You look like an idiot" She scoffed coldly.

"And hello to you too" Keita said sarcastically in his head.

The younger boy looked at the girl, as though he was waiting for a signal. She shook her head. Despite this, he took in a breath and got up, causing the girl to react with a face of disappointment

"Uh, hey…" He said, shaking Keita's hand.

"M-my name's Shiki. Nice to meet you" He said, speaking as though he was walking on glass.

"Well, nice to meet you too Shiki" Keita said, happily. "Finally a nice person other than Kaz and Marina-senpai" Keita celebrated in his head.

Keita looked at the corner of her eye and saw the girl looking at Keita with disgust.

"Jeez, what's this girl's problem" Keita thought. "Do I know her from somewhere else? Did I do something wrong?"

The girl got up and snapped her fingers. "Kaz, Shiki, we're leaving" She ordered. Shiki ran to her side immediately while Kaz hesitantly got up.

"H-hey…! Hey! What gives? Kaz can make his own decisions!" Keita defended him.

"Kaz…now" She demanded, looking at him with an intense look.

"Sorry Keita. I gotta go…" Kaz said quickly as he followed Shiki and the girl.

"Hey come on, what's your beef with me?" Keita yelled, getting in the girls way.

"Just shut up already!" She snapped at Keita as she went around him, Kaz and Shiki following behind her. Keita could see Kaz's face. He had regret written all over it.

"Hey! Saeki-kun!" Keita could hear a voice right behind him.

Keita turned around. "Oh, hey Marina-senpai" He said in a low voice.

"Hey, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Marina asked, concerned.

"That girl…" Keita mumbled, looking as she walked out, with Shiki and Kaz following her.

"Ohhhh jeez, you met Ryoko, huh?" Marina said with regret in her voice.

"Ryoko…?" Keita asked.

"Uh huh, she's an honor student. Highest in almost every class she's in."

"That doesn't give her the right to act like she's the queen!" Keita yelled in frustration.

"She's pretty smug sometimes, I'll admit that. I've had to teach her before in a class"

"What's she like?" He asked.

"She's smart and all and I commend her for having such devotion to her school work, but at times I think she lets her status get to her head" Marina admitted reluctantly

"No kidding" Keita said lowly. "So, what about the silver haired boy, you know anything about him?"

"Oh yeah plenty, his name is Shiki Izumi" Marina said.

Something clicked in Keita's head. "Izumi…Isn't that the principal's last name too?"

Marina nodded. "Principal Izumi is Shiki's uncle."

"Ahhh, I see. Never would've guessed" Keita said in astonishment.

"He's not the type to flaunt that to everyone he meets. In fact, he's pretty timid" Marina explained.

"I see" Keita said.

Marina thought for a moment. "Wanna go to the takoyaki stand again?" She offered.

"I'm not very hungry right now."

"You wanna just hang out?"

"Not really in the mood."

A frown came across Marina's face. "Hey, come on! Don't feel so down. Ryoko is who she is. Whether she changes or not is on her."

"Right…"

"You didn't insult her or anything right?"

"No…"

"Then you're fine! So cheer up, okay?" She offered.

A small smile spread across Keita's face. "Thanks…"

"What're senpai's for?" She said with a grin.

"I think I'm gonna head to my room and call it a day" Keita told her.

"Alright, I'll just walk with you there" Marina said as she followed him.

The two walked from the school building all the way to Keita's dorm, hardly saying a word the entire time.

"Alright, I'll see you later Marina-senpai" Keita said, walking up the stairs.

"Alright, see ya later!" She replied as she walked away.

Keita stopped in front of the door for a moment, thinking. Today was just a huge train wreck as far as he was concerned. He just wanted the day to end.

Outside of Keita's dorm, Marina walked back to her own dorm as well. Outside the door, a green haired high school student was there, leaning against the nearby wall. He seemed to have been waiting for her.

"How's he doing?" He asked her.

"He's doing fine. He's just a little upset from events in the day" She answered.

"I see…"

Marina sat down for a moment, thinking to herself.

"Has he awakened his potential yet?" The young man asked her.

"I don't think so. I mean, I can sense it, but it's very faint" Marina said, rubbing her chin.

"Give him some time, he'll work up to it on his own" He said, seeming confident in his statement.

"Yeah…"

"We all had to awaken it at one point" He said casually, standing upright.

"I understand" Marina said in agreement.

"Well, I'm off. Take care now." The young man said laxly as he walked off.

"Right…" Marina said quietly as she walked into her own dorm. She thought of Keita's condition, as well as another thing that unsettled her, a strange feeling in the air. Whatever it was, she felt like it was a warning of something to come.


	4. Chapter 4: Disturbance

Hello, Welcome to Chapter 4 of Persona Academy! In this chapter, the seemingly normal world around Keita shows its true colors. Read on to see what I mean. Don't forget to review if you are reading. I'd really appreciate it :)

Persona Academy

Chapter 4: Disturbance

"…What a day" Keita thought upon walking on his own into the dorm. He didn't expect to wake up this morning to meet people like Mr. Kuroki and Ryoko; a bitter asshole of a teacher and an honor student who holds some sort of grudge against him. Keita was astonished that he was able to keep himself from going ballistic after the day he had.

Keita walked up the stairs and opened the door to his room. He found Kaz inside, watching something on TV. He looked away from it and looked at Keita as the door opened.

"Oh, hey…" Kaz began to speak, feeling regret sink in.

"Hey Kaz" Keita said as he climbed into his alcove. A part of him didn't want anything to do with him for a while. But another part told him to at least hear him out. He watched TV through the bars of the small guardrail as he laid flat on his stomach.

"Hey Keita…I'm sorry about earlier" Kaz apologized.

"Ah, it's no big deal" Keita brushed it off, not wanting to think about it.

"You understand, right?"

"Yeah, you were under pressure. It's alright, really" Keita reassured him, having mildly calmed down since earlier.

"Alright…" Kaz breathed a sigh of relief.

"I mean, best we get along if we're roommates, right?" Keita asked.

"I suppose so…" Kaz answered.

"Besides, it wasn't really you I was mad at."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it's that Ryoko girl that really got on my nerves" Keita clarified.

"I see…" Kaz nodded.

"I can't stand people like…ngh" Suddenly, Keita felt a sharp pain pierce through his head. The pain was so sudden and intense that it caused his hands to shake and his knees to buckle.

"Is something wrong?" Kaz asked, wondering why Keita suddenly stopped talking.

"Ngh, it's j-just a headache, Kaz. I think I just need some sleep" Keita threw his blanket over his body and lied down.

"Alright, night" Kaz said.

Shortly after saying that, Keita dozed off, breathing heavily and tossing in bed.

"He must've caught a bug" Kaz though. He looked out the window, seeing that there was still an hour or two of daylight. "I might as well leave him be" He murmured to himself, turning off the TV and quietly stepping out.

Kaz walked down the hall of the dorm, thinking about earlier in the day. He thought about what Ryoko said to him when they left the classroom.

-A few hours earlier-

Kaz followed Ryoko down the halls of the school, whom seemed very irritated at that moment. Shiki struggled to follow the two down the halls as they changed shoes, following her outside. After a while of walking, the three stopped around the side of the school building, where no one usually went.

Ryoko stood in front of Kaz and glared him straight in the eye. "Kaz, why are you associating yourself with someone like him?" She asked harshly.

"He's a new student and Marina-senpai asked me to show him around. He's not a bad guy Ryo-…"

"I couldn't care less what he's like! He's pathetic! He hasn't even awakened his power yet!" She yelled furiously, interrupting him mid-sentence.

"He'll awaken it soon" Kaz pointed out.

"What good is he if he can't fight now?"

"We're not under attack yet…"

"_Yet_ is the key word! Any day now and our school could be surrounded"

"Listen to me. He's new. Give him some time, he can learn" Kaz tried desperately to reason with her.

"R-Ryoko…?" Shiki mumbled concerned about what was going on.

"We can't wait that long…" Ryoko said coldly.

"Hey come on. Everyone starts somewhe-…" Kaz began to say

"Don't make excuses for that imbecile!" Ryoko ordered as she walked away. "Until he's of any use in battle, he's nothing more than a liability" She walked off.

"R-Ryoko! Wait up!" Shiki called.

"Leave me alone Shiki. I need to blow off some pent up aggression" Ryoko said, continuing her stride. Her posture and voice made it seem like she was on a warpath.

"Kaz…? You alright…?" Shiki asked, his eyes reflecting concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm gonna head out too Shiki. Bye" Kaz walked off in a hurry towards his dorm, wanting to forget the whole issue that Ryoko raised.

Shiki tried to object to both of his friends leaving angrily, but before he could say anything, they were both gone. His head slumped sadly as he walked away.

-Present time-

Kaz raised a cold glass of soda to his lips and took a long swig from it, letting out a refreshed sigh. He managed to get some peace and quiet downstairs in the lounge. Everybody seemed to have headed to bed thankfully. It was already night time, though he didn't know exactly what time it was. He had hardly even noticed how much time he had spent downstairs to begin with.

He heard the door to the lounge opening from behind him. "Huh? Who's there?" He asked, turning around.

"Hey Kaz, it's just me" A familiar voice answered.

"Oh Marina-senpai, what're you doing here?" Kaz asked, calming down.

"Just taking a break" She said casually.

"Really…? Why are you up at this time of night…?" He asked her.

"I could ask you the same thing" She teased.

"I came down here to relax since Keita isn't feeling well" He said, his voice reducing in volume.

"Saeki-kun…?" She asked, her eyes widening. She sighed, scratching her head in dismay as she spoke. "Ryoko really did him in, huh?"

"That's not it. He just seems ill" He explained, trying to not to sound too grim in front of Marina, who already seemed worried.

"Really…? I'll head to the pharmacy right now" She offered, alerted by the unnerving news.

"It's okay. It just seems like he's got a bad headache. He's sleeping it off right now" He said.

"I see…" She replied back. She walked around the lounge, pacing back and forth. "So what did Ryoko say to you earlier?"

"She was picking at something about him" He replied.

"Oh?"

"You've noticed it right?"

"Noticed what?"

"Keita…his power" He said, worry rising in his voice.

"Oh…yeah, I noticed" Marina confirmed to him.

"That's essentially what she wasn't too fond of him for" Kaz explained, finishing the last of his drink.

"Jeez, when is that girl gonna get it through her thick skull?" Marina groaned. "Not everyone's a pro."

"I don't know" Kaz groaned in defeat. "He just needs time…right?"

"Yeah, of course" She said cheerfully.

Kaz got up and walked towards the window, looking out at the night sky; seeing the stars shining so brightly, with the moon casting its radiance upon all those beneath it. As Kaz looked around, he couldn't shake a strange feeling that hit him as he looked outside.

"You feel it too, huh?" Marina asked.

"How did you…?"

"You look really tense" She explained.

"Yes, I feel it. Something about tonight doesn't sit right with me" Kaz looked away from the window. "Maybe we should tell Principal Izumi?"

"I was thinking the same thing" Marina nodded. She wanted to get to the bottom of what this feeling was and be sure that nothing strange was going to happen.

The pair raced out of the dorm and headed towards the main faculty building, where Principal Izumi's office was.

Back inside the dorm, Keita desperately tried to sleep peacefully. However, his headache made it nearly impossible for him to do so; he felt like an axe had been plunged straight into his skull

"Ugh, forget it. I'll just take a walk" Keita groaned. He put on his shoes and jacket, jumping down to ground level rather than climbing down the stairs. "Maybe some fresh air will do me some good" He thought to himself.

Keita walked out of his door and walked through the dimly lit halls of the dorm. It was eerily quiet, though the faint sounds of breathing could be heard if one focused enough. He headed downstairs cautiously and found no one there either. The lounge door was wide open, as though someone had walked through.

"Jeez this is spooky" Keita thought. He looked in the lounge and like everywhere else, no one was there. He looked to the side of the door and found a wooden kendo sword, tucked in behind a chair. He picked up the weapon, feeling its weight. "W-well, better safe than sorry. They won't mind if I borrow it" He chuckled nervously.

Keita exited the dorm and began to walk a short route. He planned on walking to the class building and then back to the dorm. It was a fair distance and he easily knew how to get there. He walked along the path, gripping the kendo sword in case of an emergency. He looked up and saw the moon, hovering over the world he was on; though something was odd about it. The moonlight seemed to be a darker blue than usual. The clouds were also darker and seemed to move unnaturally quickly.

As Keita walked, he seemed to lose track of the path and headed down another one. The night time air was brisk and chilled Keita's body to the bone. It did little for his headache.

"I-I should p-p-probably head back" Keita mumbled, his teeth chattering. He turned around and walked down where he thought came from, but wherever he went, he didn't recognize the area. The campus was beginning to look like a maze. "D-damn it, I'm lost" Keita groaned.

He rubbed his head. "Okay, focus Saeki. Just remember the way you came from" Keita tried to recollect anything that would distinguish the area where the dorms were. He remembered the fact that it was 4 buildings all in a square surrounding a tree-filled grassy square. That seemed to be a good enough mental image for him to follow.

Keita suddenly heard an odd noise, coming from somewhere around him; though the noise was to faint to distinguish what it was. "H-Huh? Wh-wh-who's there?" He asked, holding the kendo sword up. The noise began to intensify, but Keita couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from exactly. "I-I'm not playing around! I have a weapon! I'm not afraid to use it either!" Keita yelled desperately to try and gain the upper hand and push away the source of the noise.

A huge "SNAP" noise came from behind Keita. He spun around and focused on the sight. What he saw froze him to the core.

In the distance, Keita saw what could only be described as a flood of darkness coming right towards him. Many small, indistinguishable shapes seemed to crawl their way towards him, making a wet and nauseating squishing sound as they moved forward. Blue blank faced masks loosely clung onto the black blobs.

"H-Huh? Wh-What the…?" Keita stammered. His breath came out as a snowy white mist.

"SNAP" Sparks flew towards Keita as something toppled over. "GAH!" He yelped, covering his face. The snap was the sound of a lamppost being torn from its foundation and being slammed into the ground, causing a shower of sparks from the broken bulb. The creature that caused the destruction was visible now.

Leading the pack, a large black creature took point for them. It was much larger than Keita, with a canine body that leaked black slime as it ran on four large, clawed legs. Its torso was swollen and a fiery red energy glowed through rips in its sides. Where eyes would normally be, the same blue masks from before replaced them, with yellow light spilling from all four of the eyeholes.

The creature let out a soul-piercing screech through its fang filled maw, which caused Keita to buckle over in pain, covering his ears to desperately try to mute the noise. He regained his senses and looked up as the creatures came closer. Abruptly, the remaining lamppost lights changed color from gold to bright red and began to flash as a siren screamed throughout the campus.

"Attention students! Attention students!" A voice yelled over the intercom.

"M-Marina-senpai…?" Keita mumbled, thinking he recognized the voice

"We are experiencing an attack by hostile Shadows! Remain calm and stay indoors while we handle the problem! Activate lockdown procedures on your dorms immediately! This is not a drill! Lockdown your dorms immediately and stay inside!"

"LOCKDOWN?" Keita shrieked. "Damn it, I gotta get out of here fast!" 

Over the sirens, Keita could hear a collective of inhuman voices coming from the creatures, which at first sounded like gibberish. But upon a closer listen, he realized they were chanting a single word over and over.

"Consume…Consume…Consume…CONSUME!"

Keita screamed as loud as he could, running for his life. "This has to be a dream, this has to be a dream, this has to be a dream!" But it wasn't…and now Keita was running for his life from a pack of creatures that seemed to be born from the darkness that surrounded him.


	5. Chapter 5: Desperate Escape

Hello everyone, Welcome to Chapter 5 of "Persona Academy"! :D Following last chapter, Keita is running for his life from the dark creatures that found him during his night time walk through the campus of St. Lucia's. I hope you enjoy :)

Persona Academy

Chapter 5: Desperate Escape

Keita ran as fast as his legs would carry him, trying to lose the creatures that were chasing him. However, the creatures chasing him seemed to have unnatural stamina, as none of them stopped for even a second during the chase.

"Damn it! Someone! Anyone! Help me!" Keita screamed, trying to call out for help. But no one answered and the siren didn't help his efforts to be heard. Sparks flew from behind him as lampposts and other metallic obstacles were torn down and shredded with ease by the alpha male of the creatures.

Keita examined his surroundings as he ran, trying to distinguish any landmarks that would lead him to the dorm. His path was relatively straight, with minimal turns. But as he approached an opening in front of him, a group of the creatures blocked off his path, heading towards him. "Crap!" Keita yelped as he quickly turned and continued running.

Adrenaline was pumping through Keita's veins as he tried to move his body faster. Sweat was pouring down his face and his eyes scanned desperately around him. Everything was a blur now, a mishmash of colors and light. Whether that was due to Keita moving so quickly or his mind going blank with fear was up to debate.

Keita looked over his shoulder briefly. The creatures were still right behind him, desperately clawing forward and making unearthly growls and screeches, seemingly enjoying the chase. The alpha male's mouth began to glow with the same red energy that poured from the tears in its swollen hide, generating heat from within. "Not good!" Keita yelled. Flames spewed from its screeching maw and concentrated itself into a sphere of blistering fire. With a ferocious roar, the fireball launched at Keita, creating an explosion.

"GAAAAH!" Keita screamed as the fireball exploded by his feet, flinging him across the path he was taking by several feet, crashing into the ground. Keita began to hyperventilate, causing the white mist to pour from his mouth in short harsh bursts. His body was convulsing violently as he tried to regain his senses and control over his body. The shock of what happened just then was inconceivable.

After what felt like an eternity of trying, he finally managed to gain control of his body. But before he could get up, something knocked him back on his stomach with a loud thud. He turned his body and saw what had thrown his balance off. One of the black blob creatures had caught up to him and had grabbed onto his leg. Its sickening consistency glimmered in the azure moonlight. The mask on its body moved in a way that it seemed to be looking at him.

"Agh! Get off of me!" Keita demanded, kicking at the creature. His foot didn't have any effect on the creature as it crawled over his leg. It gurgled disgustingly as the black ooze that made up its body covered his leg. Keita looked around and saw the kendo sword he was carrying earlier; which flew out of his hand. Keita tried desperately to grab the weapon, but it was too far away for him to grab. Thinking quickly, he kicked the creature as far down his leg as he could and dragged his body towards the sword over the cold concrete. The weight of the creature added to his payload as he scraped desperately at the sword.

A sharp pain erupted in Keita's leg causing him to cry out in pain. He looked down and saw that the creature had cut his leg with a blade made of its own black goo, blood seeping from the wound. He gave one last reach and finally took hold of the kendo sword.

With a scream of fury, Keita gripped the blade in both hands and struck it viciously, causing its blue mask to crack and break up. As the creature shrieked in pain, Keita used the moment to his advantage, pulling his leg away. Shaking off the black goo, he began to run again. However, the wound to his leg and his exhaustion from the running took a toll on his speed.

The creatures were even closer than they were before. Keita could hear the deafening shriek of the alpha male become louder. Thinking on what happened Keita came to a horrifying conclusion. "These things can strategize" He thought. Their pack-like behavior, blocking off paths to close him in, sending units to slow down the prey, these things weren't just rabid monsters; they had some form of intelligence.

Keita moved as fast as he could, until finally in the distance he saw it. His dorm was just up ahead! "Alright Keita, you're almost there!" He thought. He pushed with all of his might, heading towards his dorm. He could hear the screaming of students faintly over the sirens. Though as he limped, he heard another, much louder noise came from his destination. Red lights came from above all four of the dorms and a grating metallic sound came from the windows and doors. At an alarming speed, a series of metal barriers began to sheath the dorm.

"The lockdown! NO!" Keita gave his body a final push as he ran towards the dorm. 2 steel doors began to close themselves over the entrance. Keita threw himself towards the dorm, but it was no use. The steel doors had closed right in front of him, sealing him off from his only salvation. The screaming of the students focused behind the door.

Keita got up and slammed his hands against the metal door. "Come on! Open up!" He pleaded desperately.

"We can't get it open!" A voice yelled from the other end.

"WHAT?"

"The lockdown occurs automatically! We can't override it!" Another voice screamed.

"We can't leave him out there!" A female voice said. "He's going to die!"

"Please, I'm begging you! Let me in!" Keita pleaded, tears rolling down his face.

"We're trying!" The voice from earlier yelled.

An electric crackling could be heard from within. "No good. Give it another shock!" A third voice ordered. "It's no good! Nothing's getting through it!"

Keita's desperation and anger drove him to slam his fists against the door over and over, hoping that somehow it would cause the door to open. But it was to no avail.

"FUCK!" He screamed as he slammed his whole body against the door. Nothing he was doing made it dent, let alone make it move.

"We're gonna keep trying to get it open! Hang in there!" The student behind the door yelled.

Keita could hear the monsters that had been chasing him all this time, practically right behind him. He ran away from the door, trying to keep himself from behind cornered. He looked around and saw the monsters heading right towards him. Black slime oozed like saliva from the alpha male's jaws as it slowly moved towards him, its underlings following right behind it.

"J-Just leave me alone! I don't wanna die!" Keita pleaded. He was at the point of breaking. His body and mind were completely drained. He didn't have the strength or the mental power to continue running. No matter how fast he ran, no matter how desperately he tried to escape, it was not enough to escape these monsters.

He fell to his knees and felt his entire body shake as tears fell from his eyes. "I'm gonna die…I'm really gonna die!" Keita cried as his head fell low.

"Thou art I…" Keita could hear a voice, speaking to him inside of his head. His head erupted in pain as he clenched his head in agony.

"Leave me alone!" He pleaded, wailing in pain as the headache intensified.

"Thou art I…" It repeated.

"What does that even mean?" He pleaded.

"Thou art I…"

"Sh-shut up! Just SHUT UP!" Keita's body curled into a ball as he shook, unable to get off of his knees.

"SAEKI-KUN!"

"KEITA!"

Keita could hear two voices yelling in the distance. He could barely make out their forms, but he recognized the voices. "Kaz…Marina-senpai" He whispered in a shaky voice. The two came into view after a moment. Kaz had a pair of metal gauntlets over his hands while Marina had a spear in her hand.

"Saeki-kun! Get out of there!" Marina screamed, running as fast as she could.

"Keita, move!" Kaz pleaded.

The alpha male looked at the two and snarled before staggering them with a piercing shriek. This seemed to signal its underlings, since the majority of the small blobs in the pack charged at Marina and Kaz. The alpha male turned its attention back to Keita, fiery energy gathered inside of its mouth again as it bellowed in victory.

"NO! SAEKI-KUN!"

"GET OUT OF THERE!"

The fire burned within its mouth and gathered in a hellish sphere, pointed straight towards Keita. At this point, Keita was powerless. The ball of fire in front of him looked to be the only light that was at the end of this tunnel.

The creature reared its head back and fired the burning orb at Keita. Everything seemed to slow down to him as the projectile headed right towards him. All he could do now was watch as the fireball detonated, sending him flying across the square. He landed in the nearby grass, which did little to cushion the fall.

"OH GOD NO! SAEKI-KUN!"

"NO! KEITA!"

Keita's body gave out on him and slowly, his tear filled eyes closed up. He slipped out of consciousness as the enigmatic voice from before said the same words one more time.

"Thou art I…"


	6. Chapter 6: Persona

Hello readers of , welcome to Chapter 6 of "Persona Academy"! :D With a title like this, I think you know where we're getting with this chapter. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it. Don't forget to review :)

Persona Academy

Chapter 6: Persona

"Ah, it appears we have a new guest…" An unknown voice said gently.

"H-huh…? Wh-wha…?" Keita's eyes fluttered open slowly as he looked around. His vision was blurry at first, but after a while it began to clear. Keita realized he was sitting in a deep blue chair with a golden frame. Everywhere he looked, a regal hue of azure surrounded him. The entire room was colored this way, its furniture, its walls and even the large table that was in front of him was radiating this relaxing velvet hue. The walls converged and rose skyward into a ceiling that seemed to vanish into oblivion.

"I'm glad to see that you are awake" The voice from earlier said.

"Huh…?" Keita turned his head forward and saw the owner of the voice.

In front of him, across the velvet draped table in an almost throne-like chair sat a balding old man wearing a black suit with white gloves. A black cane was propped in front of him, his hands lying on its tip. The old man looked upwards, revealing a most…unsettling feature. The old man had an abnormally long nose, nearly the length of his entire head.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room" He said.

Keita's eyes sprang open in shock. "D-d-d-d-dude…y-y-your nose…!" Keita stuttered, trying to form a coherent sentence.

The old man chuckled lightly. "Do not be afraid. I will not hurt you. You are my honorary guest after all" He said, trying to ease him.

"U-um…who are you, s-sir?" Keita asked nervously.

A smile spread across his wrinkly complexion as he began to speak. "My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

Behind Igor, Keita noticed a blue grand piano that glowed with the same aura as the rest of the room. In front of its keys, a young woman had her hands placed up to them. She had platinum blonde hair that was tied into a bun and wore an odd, long sleeved dress and boots that were the same color as the room, with white gloves being the only thing standing out. She turned to Keita and looked at him with golden colored eyes, gracing him with a smile.

"This is Beatrice, my assistant" Igor said, gesturing his glove covered hand towards her.

She bowed courteously. "It is a pleasure to meet you" She said kindly.

"Th-the pleasure's all mine" Keita said, feeling a light blush on his cheeks.

Beatrice nodded before turning around towards the piano. She began to play a somber aria which echoed throughout the room. As the song played, the young woman tilted her head and began to sing in a voice that sounded like the golden note of a royal choir. The fusion of piano and vocals combined to form an enchanting serenade that lavishly drowned the room in a euphoric blanket of music.

Keita brought his attention back to Igor, who was still looking at him with the same wide, almost scary grin on his face. "Please, introduce yourself" He requested.

"M-my name is Keita Saeki" He answered, frightened. "Where is this?"

"This is a place that neither exists in dream or reality. This is a place between these planes of existence, a place between mind and matter" He said cryptically.

Keita's heart sunk at that moment. "Am I…dead?" He asked.

Igor shook his head. "No, your mind is simply away from your body at the moment" Igor explained. He got up from his chair and walked towards a door at the end of the room. "Follow me" He requested.

Igor gripped the golden handle and opened the door in the Velvet Room. As the door swung open, a soft light came through and the two walked out. As Keita stepped out, he looked down and saw what appeared to be white sand. It seemed that this was an island of sorts.

He looked up and saw a marvelous sight. All around this small pocket of land, a glistening sea stretched as far as the eye could see. Though it was different from what its real world equivalent would be. The water was a light color of cyan and glistened with lights of multiple colors that swirled and mixed together into each other, creating a marvelous display which was made more visible by the night sky.

Keita looked up and saw what appeared to be large floating cards gently gliding across the sky. Some were as high as clouds while others were low enough that they could be touched by a wary hand. These blue and white cards held a symbol similar to the mask on the emblem of St. Lucia's. One of the sides was a white blank in the center and a circle at the bottom.

"What is this place…?" Keita asked as he walked to the shore where Igor had stopped.

"This, my boy, is the Sea of Unconsciousness" Igor announced, his hand moving in the direction of the

"Sea of…Unconsciousness…? I don't get it" Keita scratched his head, dumbfounded by what all of this meant.

"The details of its existence will become clear to you another day. This is the place where all thoughts and feelings from your world gather."

Keita rubbed his chin, trying to put everything together in his head.

"If you listen closely, you may be able to hear these feelings" Igor advised, his smile becoming gentle.

Keita closed his eyes and allowed himself to open up to the world around him, if only for a moment. In an instant, a rush of emotion filled his body and the sounds of many people's thoughts filled his ears. They were faint, but Keita could hear them. He knew they were there. Then just as quickly, he stopped, returning to his senses.

"You hear them, no?" Igor asked him.

"Y-yeah…Igor, this is incredible!" Keita cheered, blown away by what he had just experienced.

"I am glad you find some intrigue in this" Igor submerged his gloved hand in the water and gently swayed it back and forth. "But, you must return to your world. You have business to attend to."

"Wait! How long have I been out?" Keita asked in a panic.

"When you awaken, it will be as though only a moment has passed. Do not worry" Igor explained, his eyes still fixed on the water. "You hold a very special gift, something that you and your classmates all possess. A power that few can truly awaken."

"R-Really…?"

Igor nodded and whisked his hand from the water. A baseball sized orb of water from the Sea of Unconsciousness floated above his hand.

"The ability to overcome life's hardships through a façade…a mask" Igor continued.

"A…mask…?" Keita scratched his head.

"A power of which you will need a contract with myself to fulfill" Igor said. The orb of water began to spin rapidly, glowing with a volatile light. "I will help you in your journey in the best way I know how."

The orb span faster and faster above Igor's hand until finally a bright light erupted from it. Keita covered his eyes quickly to avoid being blinded. When the light dissipated, he uncovered his eyes. Above Igor's hand, the orb of water from the Sea of Unconsciousness had frozen over, forming an icy crystalline shell around its core, which still glowed with the multicolored light.

"Do you accept?" Igor asked seriously.

"I accept your contract" Keita reached his hand towards the orb and in an instant, it came to his beckon. Keita gripped the crystal and instantly, the light within it changed color. The once multicolored light had now changed to an emerald green that glowed in response to him.

"Now then, I mustn't keep you here any longer" Igor said. He clasped his hands over his cane and in an instant everything around Keita began to turn white.

"Until then, farewell" Igor said as he bid his newest guest farewell.

"No wait! Igor…!" Keita yelled desperately. The world around him began to fade, until Keita only saw darkness. He could feel his bodily senses returning to him.

"Thou art I…" The voice echoed in his head. His headache was gone, his mind was clear.

"I understand now" He thought to himself, knowing what he had to do.

In an otherworldly rush, Keita's eyes shot open. He could hear Marina and Kaz both yelling for him as they fought through the creatures he had not so easily forgotten. He also heard the roaring and shrieking of the pack's alpha male.

Keita regained control, feeling the stress his body was under. However, it seemed like this stress became less and less of an obstacle. He pushed as hard as he could, until finally he was on his feet.

"Saeki-kun! You're alive!" Marina cried out, relieved that he wasn't dead.

"Keita, you need to get out of here!" Kaz ordered, trying to handle the mob that blocked him off. He slammed his fist straight through one of the creatures as it gave off a short shriek before fading into smoke. It was no use though, there were too many for him to handle.

Keita stood up straight, though his head was slumped down. His eyes were shadowed by his hair.

"Saeki-kun, come on! You need to get out of here before they really kill you!" Marina yelled.

Keita didn't seem to hear her. He was still in his seemingly dazed state.

"Keita, hurry up! Move!" Kaz pleaded.

The alpha male monster let out a soul shattering shriek right in Keita's direction with him facing it. However, it did little to nothing to his concentration.

"Saeki-kun, please!" Marina begged him.

"KEITA!" Kaz cried out.

Keita reached his left hand in front of him with his palm open.

"What is he…?" Marina murmured.

Suddenly, a blue ring of energy began to form under Keita's feet as a gust of wind began to blow his uniform and hair all about. In a flash of light, the green crystal that he had received from Igor floated in front of his hand and guided itself to him.

He took a hold of the crystal, causing his shadow to change and twist. Wisps of darkness shed itself from his shadow as it twisted forms on the ground. Keita squeezed the crystal in his hand, forming large cracks in its surface that radiated the green energy within.

"N-no way…! Is he…?" Marina stammered, stunned by what she was witnessing.

"He is…!" Kaz gasped in surprise.

As the crystal was at its breaking point, wisps of darkness began to shed from Keita's body, originating from his own natural shadow, which had left the ground. His hair and clothes fluttered violently from the energy.

A single word worked its way into Keita's mind. It repeated itself over and over in his mind, begging to be called upon. Keita's eyes dilated as he spoke the three syllables that made up this word.

"Per…"

The alpha male monster began to conjure a fireball in its mouth.

"…so…"

Marina and Kaz looked on in awe at the sight that was unfolding right before their very eyes.

"…na!"

Keita shattered the crystal in his hand, causing what looked like shards of blue glass to shed where blood would have normally sprayed. The energy from the crystal shot into him, causing a massive surge of energy to occur in his soul. His shadow completely left his body and began to change. The wind howled fiercely as the power surged more and more around him.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Keita threw his head back and let out a mighty scream as the power within him awakened at last.

Behind him, his shadow had changed and taken on a form of its own. Behind Keita floated a large humanoid being, clad in bronze and silver armor. Its bird-like helmet hid a shadowed face with glowing yellow eyes. On its back, the being had a pair of large avian wings that were made of semi-transparent green energy.

"Thou art I…And I am thou…From the sea of thy soul I come forth…I am Icarus, Champion of the Skies!" The being declared, speaking in a voice similar to Keita's.

"He did it! He awakened his Persona!" Marina cheered giddily.

Icarus reached to his waist and unsheathed a black bladed sword. With a swing of the blade, Icarus conjured a wide wave of charged green wind energy and sent it screaming at his opponents. The attack sliced through a majority of the smaller creatures like a hot knife through butter, causing them to explode into a cloud of black and red smoke. The alpha male was knocked off its feet, causing the fireball in its mouth to shoot up into the sky and safely explode in the air as its enormous frame slammed to the ground. It shrieked and tried desperately to get back up, its dog-like legs scrambling all around for support.

Icarus crossed his arms across his chest, causing a white and blue light to surround Keita. The pain that had racked his body faded, his leg wound sealed itself up safely and the black goo on his leg was burned off. He walked towards the kendo sword he was carrying before, which had been long forgotten and slung it over his shoulder, prepared to fight.

The alpha male finally gained, its claws scraping against the ground. Keita cracked his neck as the monster roared in anger.

"You've been giving me trouble all night, damn it! But now, you've got no one to hide behind!" He raised his blade, pointing it at the monster as Icarus brandished his blade as well.

"Bring it on, freak show!"


	7. Chapter 7: Shadow

Hello everyone! Welcome to Chapter 7 of "Persona Academy"! Well, here we go people! The first Shadow battle of the story! I hope I manage to make the fight interesting to read while still keeping the Persona feel. If you really wanna get the proper feel, I say play your favorite Persona boss theme during the chapter! XD Without further a due enjoy! :)

Persona Academy

Chapter 7: Shadow

With a roar, the alpha male seemed to accept Keita's challenged as it reared up and snarled, prepared to fight. Keita gripped his sword tightly, prepared to fight as well. This was it. It was time to make this giant pain in the neck pay for the trouble it has dealt tonight.

The monster wasted no time as it charged straight at Keita with its mouth open. Keita rolled out of the way. Icarus retaliated, opening his wings wide and flapping them forward, causing green energy to charge under the creature, shooting up as a geyser of wind. The attack tore through bits of the creature's stomach, causing it to yelp.

"Nice hit!" Marina cheered, dividing her attention between looking over Keita and fighting the creatures in front of her.

The beast let out an ear splitting shriek, causing Keita to cover his ears in pain. Without being noticed, while Keita was down it charged up a fireball and fired it at him, sending him flying a few feet back. As Keita slammed to the ground, Icarus disappeared and reappeared as his shadow on the ground.

"Watch out Saeki-kun! That Shadow is proficient in fire based skills! That seems to be your Persona's weakness, so try not to get hit!" Marina advised him.

"Good to know… and Shadow…? You mean the monster right?" Keita croaked, pushing himself up.

"Exactly, all of these monsters are known as Shadows!" She informed, nearly getting hit by one of the smaller Shadow's attacks.

"And how're you…?" 

"My Persona's ability!" She answered before he could finish.

"H-hey, where's Icarus?" Keita asked, panicking.

"The Shadow broke your focus, but you can summon Icarus again as long as your mind and body can take it" Kaz yelled to him.

"I think I've got plenty of fight left in me" He groaned. He reached his hand forward and focused. Same as before his crystal returned, but the actual process was much easier now. "Persona!" Keita shouted, crushing the crystal once more with the blue energy ring beneath him. His shadow left his body again and Icarus reformed in front of him.

The Shadow raised its head up to prepare another shriek. "Icarus!" Keita commanded, glaring fiercely at his opponent. Icarus shot right towards the Shadow with blade in hand as Keita followed him. Like a green comet, Icarus slashed across the Shadow's face, causing one of its masks to shatter, revealing a solid glowing yellow eye beneath it. It fell down with its revealed eye facing the sky. While the beast was down, Keita ran onto its neck and then its head. He reared his sword up and stabbed it savagely in the eye. The Shadow let out a horrified shriek as it scrambled up, swatting Keita off of its head with a clawed paw. He regained footing shortly after.

"Good work Saeki-kun!" Marina cheered. She swung her spear at the nearest Shadow and with that the mob from before was taken care of, though she was obviously exhausted. Kaz and Marina ran to Keita quickly to assist.

"Marina-senpai, you back us up, okay?" Kaz asked.

"H-Huh…?" She replied, startled.

"You've taken a lot of injuries. Keita and I will take on the Shadow. You give us any useful information you can on the enemy, okay?"

"I understand. Alright, I'll do whatever I can" Marina said, complying with the plan. She didn't want to admit it, but she didn't think she would be able to handle anymore fighting in her current state.

Kaz lined up next to Keita, his fists held up in a fighting position. "The more, the merrier right?" Keita joked, desperately trying to lighten the mood and raise morale. "You guys ready?" He asked, whipping his sword back up.

"Ready when you are!" Marina replied.

"Roger that…" Kaz said quickly.

"Cause here it comes!" As Keita spoke, the Shadow charged right towards him and Kaz. Its claws glowed red with energy as it leapt at them, preparing to attack as it came down.

"Kaz, now!" Marina signaled.

"Understood…" Kaz raised his hand skyward as the same blue ring of energy as Keita appeared beneath him. An orange crystal appeared above his hand and went to his palm.

"Odysseus!" He hailed as he crushed it in his hand. Kaz's shadow wisped off his body as a very tall figure appeared in front of him.

In front of Kaz was a gigantic robotic being, clad in a suit of red and white armor with features of similar to gladiator armor in it. Its hands were equipped with large spiked knuckles and its face was shadowed, only showing a pair of glowing blue eyes.

Kaz's Persona, Odysseus, prepared itself as the massive Shadow descended. As the massive creature came down, he reached up, grabbing the creature by the throat and threw it to the ground with minimal effort.

"Pretty impressive Big Guy!" Keita complimented. But quickly the creature got up and lunged at them.

"Guys, look out!" Marina warned them. Quickly, Odysseus stopped the Shadow, grappling with it to keep it from attacking them.

"Saeki-kun! Attack its stomach again!" Marina ordered.

"Gotcha!" Keita called his crystal forward. "Come forth!" He commanded, crushing the crystal to beckon Icarus to appear.

Icarus charged his hand and launched a ball of green wind energy into the creature's stomach which detonated into a small cyclone, shredding more black slime from its stomach.

"Odysseus! Bash!" He commanded. Odysseus reared his left fist back, charging it with red energy. He swung his arm upwards and dealt a crushing uppercut to the Shadow's face that sent it flying into the air.

"Now's your chance Saeki-kun! Have Icarus break the last mask from the Shadow's eye!" She yelled.

"Got it! Kaz, have Odysseus give him a lift!" Keita requested.

Keita's plan clicked in Kaz's head. "Good idea!" He replied. Odysseus took a hold of Icarus with his massive hand and sent him careening towards the Shadow, wings flapping to supply him with more speed.

"Agi!" Kaz commanded. A fireball conjured in front Odysseus's face before firing upwards. It hit the Shadow in the back legs, aligning it with Icarus.

Icarus carved his blade across the Shadow's skull, shattering the last eye mask as well as causing massive damage to it. Icarus descended gracefully as the Shadow slammed back down to Earth.

"Alright Keita, finish it off!" She cheered.

Keita ran towards the Shadow as fast as he could. With a jump, he got onto its head and reared his blade up right over its gleaming yellow eye that looked up at him in horror.

"Lights out, you son of a bitch!" Keita screamed as he stabbed downward into the Shadow's eye. He twisted the blade before pulling it out and running a distance away.

The Shadow shrieked and screamed in agony as it convulsed and scrambled on its side, trying desperately to fight back, with fury and hunger seeming to be its only fuel. However, its struggling was futile, as the Shadow stopped moving and its damaged eye dimmed. Like its pack before it, the Shadow faded into a cloud of red and black smoke.

With the Shadow's defeat, everything seemed to grow calmer as the moonlight changed to its normal color and the clouds slowed to their normal pace of motion. The white mist was gone as well, leaving their breath invisible to them in the chilly night. The morose grip that the night held on them was gone. With the battle over, Keita and Kaz's Personas faded away and returned to their sides as their shadows.

"We did it! You guys were awesome!" Marina squealed, hugging the two of them.

"I-It was nothing, really!" Keita said, feeling his face turn red.

"I'm just doing my job" Kaz replied.

The red lights from the lampposts changed back and the metal barriers from the lockdown folded away. As soon as that happened, a mob of students burst out of each of them and ran towards the three.

"Holy crap that was awesome!"

"You two were soooooooooooooooo cool!"

"Nice work with the directions Marina-senpai!"

"You showed that Shadow who's boss!"

One by one, the students complimented and commended the three for a job well done. They were all blown away by how well the three worked together.

"It's no problem everyone, really" Kaz insisted, feeling himself sweat with embarrassment.

"It's no problem at all" Keita said.

"I'm just glad you all are safe" Marina sighed contently.

During the commotion, the impact of the night hit Keita full force. He felt exhausted, but satisfied as he wobbled back and forth.

"Saeki-kun, are you alright?" Marina asked urgently.

"Yeah…just a bit sleepy" He said with a yawn.

"Let's take him to the clinic for the night" Kaz offered.

"Good idea, just so they can fix up any injuries you may still have" Marina spoke to Keita, trying to keep him awake.

"Okay…lead the way" Keita mumbled groggily. Marina and Kaz held him up by their shoulders. During this, Keita fell asleep on the way to the clinic. It wouldn't be too much of a problem, he figured. Slowly, his mind drifted off as he felt himself leave his body.

As his eyes opened, a familiar aria filled his ears.

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room" Igor said seeming glad that Keita was there.

"H-Hey, why am I here again?" Keita asked.

"Do not worry. You are merely asleep right now because you used a lot of energy during your battle. I took this opportunity so that I could speak with you again" Igor explained. "Just relax…"

Keita inhaled deeply before letting out a long breath. "Okay…"

"I see you have awakened to your power" Igor praised him.

"I guess so…yeah" Keita nodded.

A long grin formed on Igor's face. "I also see that it was Icarus who heeded your calling."

"That's what he called himself…" Keita murmured.

"That power is called a Persona. It is a manifestation of your psyche"

"My…psyche…?" Keita asked.

"It will take some time for you to fully understand" Igor assured. "A Persona can be described as a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli, a mask of sorts, as I described before, a mask that protects you so that you may face the hardships ahead of you."

Keita scratched his head, trying to comprehend what Igor was saying.

"That being said, your power is still weak right now" Igor said.

"W-wait, THAT was still weak" Keita asked, referring to the power that Icarus displayed during the fight.

"Your Persona is fueled by the bonds you hold between others, your Social Links" Igor said. "And as these grow, you will become stronger because of them"

"I'll remember that…" Keita replied.

"You and your friends are destined for great things" Igor's smile became more earnest with those words. "Now then, I shall return you to your own world now. Until then, farewell"

The Velvet Room faded away. Keita took the knowledge he had newly received and felt himself slowly slip back into reality.


	8. Chapter 8: Back to Class

Hello everyone! Welcome to Chapter 8 of "Persona Academy"! Sorry this chapter took so long. School and my personal life have eaten up a good chunk of my time and so has homework, which we all know is never fun. Anyways, I should hopefully have more chapters up soon. Without further a due, enjoy! :D

Persona Academy

Chapter 8: Back to Class

Keita felt his consciousness coming back to him, his body fast asleep after last night. It was the first time he had summoned his Persona, so it took a lot out of him, physically and mentally. It was a feeling akin to running a marathon while taking a series of exit exams mid-run, if a comparison is needed.

"Hello...Saeki-kun…? Saeki-kun…?" He heard a voice trying to get his attention.

Keita's opened his eyes and saw Marina and Kaz standing beside him, Marina trying to stifle a fit of laughter.

"Whath stho funny" He asked in a muffled voice.

"You're tongue is sticking out" Marina managed to say before laughing.

Keita realized this and quickly retracted it. "Heh heh, I knew that…" Keita said feeling embarrassed.

"How're you feeling?" Kaz asked him.

"My legs are a little sore, but otherwise I'm feeling pretty good" Keita said with a grin.

"Good to hear" Kaz replied.

"So, where am I anyways?" Keita asked. He looked down and noticed he was in his night clothes, a pair of black shorts and a white t-shirt. "And what happened to my clothes?" He asked.

"We're in the campus clinic right now, we took you here for the night" Kaz explained.

"As for the clothes, weeeeeell, let's just say you made some nurses very happy…" Marina snickered sneakily.

"WHAT?" Keita's eyes felt like they were going to fall out from being so wide.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! You must've changed into them when we left. I guess since you were so tired you don't remember" Marina explained, trying to stop the near nuclear explosion of a reaction Keita was going to have.

"Okay…You'd better _not_ be lying to me" Keita said, pointing at Marina.

"I'm not! I'm not, really! We had your uniform cleaned and sewn up downstairs while you were sleeping" Marina said, scratching the back of her head. A knock was at the door. "Oh, speak of the devil. Kaz, can you get that?"

Kaz nodded as he walked towards the door. A student on the other side of the door handed him a pile of folded clothes before leaving. Kaz handed it to Keita.

He unfolded his uniform and looked closely, seeing a long stitch on the pants leg where he was cut and a few others on the blazers back and sleeves. "Jeez, I must've looked like hell last night" Keita thought jokingly.

"Class is gonna start in a bit, right? Give me a moment to change" He said, jumping out of bed, excited for the day to come.

"Okay, see you then" Marina said as she and Kaz left Keita in his room.

After a quick trip to the dorm to pick up his things, Keita walked with Kaz over to the school while Marina bid them farewell.

Keita entered his class and immediately a few of the students looked at him, giving him nods and smiles, something Keita wasn't used to but welcomed happily. However as Keita turned, his little high moment was brought crashing down. Mr. Kuroki didn't seem too different from yesterday and just looked at him with indifference. "Can't win 'em all I guess…" Keita sighed under his breath.

As he sat down, he looked to his right and felt his stomach drop to the floor. He swore he could even hear it thud out of his body like a lead weight. Ryoko, the girl from yesterday, sat in the row to the right of him. Her expression was still one of aggravation.

Homeroom played out the same as yesterday, with Mr. Kuroki's attitude causing more and more frustration to Keita and Ryoko's glaring beating down on him. Keita had to wonder. "Why was I so excited to be back in class?" He thought with a groan.

The bell rang as Mr. Kuroki left to attend to another class. In the meantime, the class spoke amongst one another.

"You and Kaz fought off a Shadow last night, right?" Ryoko asked, not even facing them.

"Holy crap, she's actually capable of conversing" Keita thought sarcastically. "Yeah, I got my Persona last night, too" He said with a proud smile.

"My guess is Kaz did most of the work" Her eyebrow raised skeptically.

"Keita fought it for the most part. I helped half way" Kaz explained to her.

"Really now…?" She scoffed, unconvinced.

"Yep, would've been dead meat if I didn't have back-up" Keita said.

"Of course" Ryoko said smugly.

"H-hey, come on! Gimme a break!" Keita complained.

"I should've expected nothing less from an amateur" She sighed, wiping her glasses on the flap of her jacket. "Meh, at least you're not a complete waste of space."

Keita shrugged off her statements, seeing as it wasn't very productive to speak with her.

The classroom door opened up as the bell rang for the next period to start. A woman carrying a duffle bag came in. She had long wavy cyan hair and dressed in casual business attire, putting the duffle bag on the desk.

"Hello class, I'm Suiko Minase, so just call me Ms. Suiko. Good to see everyone's here" She said with a smile as she finished writing her name on the board.

Keita looked around and saw that most of his male peers looked like their faces were being eaten by their enormous grins.

"I'll be covering two subjects for you guys this school year, the first being math" She explained.

"Crap…" Keita mumbled to himself.

"The second one will be Persona training" She continued, seeming a lot more enthusiastic about it.

"Win…!" Keita cheered internally.

"For those who are new, I will be teaching you about your Persona's power as well as how to hone it"

"I like this teacher light years over Mr. Kuroki already" Keita thought. Though he was still confused as to why a good chunk of the male students seemed to be in shellshock…seemingly.

"You don't get it dude?" A student asked him, noticing his confused expression.

"Nuh uh" Keita mumbled.

"She is sooooo hot, don't you think?" Another student added giddily.

"I-I dunno, whatever floats your boat" Keita stammered.

"And she's really nice too!"

"Funny how they mention looks before personality" Ryoko groaned.

"The only other teacher as popular as her is Marina-senpai" The first student added.

"But she's a TA" Keita corrected him.

"Exactly! Oooh, if only those two would teach together, I'd be here every day!"

"Pay attention everyone! Anyways, since it's still early in the school year, we won't be out in the field today. Instead, I'll give you a crash course on skills today" She said, grabbing a chart of sorts and opening it on the board.

"Finally, something fun about going to class!" Keita stood up straight, prepared to listen to the lesson.

"Personas are able to use different skills in battle, all of which are categorized into specific categories. The first are physical skills, such as Bash and Cleave"

"I remember Kaz saying Bash as he fought and I remember Icarus using a sword, so I guess he knows Cleave" Keita recollected.

"The next group is spiritual skills. There are 8 types that a Persona can use, such as Fire; Agi, Ice; Bufu, and Electricity; Zio, though there are plenty more that a Persona can use" She turned towards the class. "Saeki-kun!"

Keita scrambled up. "Y-yes…?" He asked.

"What skill is your Persona specialized in?" She asked.

"Skill…? Well, let's see. I remember Icarus using wind a lot…"

"It's Garu, Ms. Suiko" Ryoko answered, stealing the spotlight.

"I-I was asking Saeki-kun…but uh, correct! If your Persona uses wind, its inherent skill is Wind or Garu" Ms Suiko responded.

Keita grumbled as he sat down, the lunch bell ringing as he did so.

"Aw man! I didn't even get half way through! Hmph" Ms. Suiko pouted as she packed away her chart. "See you tomorrow, class!"

As the class began to socialize, Keita walked out with one single goal in mind. "Need food, need food, need food!" He had been starving ever since last night. He stopped at a small snack stand by the stairs and quickly bought some sweet bread and a drink before sitting down on a bench. He opened the wrapper and quickly took a huge bite. Nothing special, but it was something to munch on.

"H-hey…" He heard a voice speak to him.

Keita looked up and saw the silver haired boy he had met briefly yesterday.

"Hey…uh, Shiki wasn't it?"

"That's me. M-mind if I sit here?" Shiki asked sheepishly.

"I don't mind" Keita shrugged as he moved to give Shiki some room. "So what's up?"

"Nothing really…I figured I'd keep you company Keita-senpai."

"Senpai, eh? That's the first time anyone's called _me_ that" Keita thought with an internal grin.

"So uh…last night, you, Kaz and Marina-senpai beat a huge Shadow, right? Good job!" Shiki congratulated him.

"Thanks. Word spreads fast around here, huh?" Keita asked, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"You'd be surprised" Shiki chuckled lightly as he bit into a piece of taiyaki, a fish shaped pastry with adzuki bean paste in the center.

"Hey, you're friends with that Ryoko girl, right?"

"Uh huh, she's one of my best friends!" He chirped with an innocent smile.

Keita scratched his head, pondering at the thought of such a shy boy being friends with someone so…unpleasant to say the least.

"I-Is something wrong?" Shiki asked him.

"Nah, it's nothing. Forget about it" Keita regretted bringing the topic up. Shiki looked away and took another bite of his food.

"Anyway, I did actually have something to tell you" Shiki said, his mouth half full. "My uncle wants to speak with you after school. He said he had something to talk to you about."

Keita swallowed hard. "Wh-what…?"

"Anyways, lunch is almost over. See you later Keita-senpai!" Shiki bid his senpai farewell, heading down the hall.

Keita forced himself up and slowly walked back upstairs, four words repeating in his head at the thought of being called to the principal's office.

"I. Am. So. Screwed!"


	9. Chapter 9: Team Alpha

Hey, I'm alive! XD Hello everyone, welcome to Chapter 9 of Persona Academy! :) Whew man, I need to work on this story a lot more. I'm sorry for such a long gap of time between chapters D: Hopefully, I can squeeze in more time to write during the Thanksgiving break. Anywhoo, I hope you enjoy the chapter and there will be more soon. Enjoy : D

Persona Academy

Chapter 9: Team Alpha

The final bell of the day rang throughout the school, dismissing its students, who carelessly left. Keita, however, didn't move an inch from his seat. Earlier, Shiki told him that his uncle, Principal Izumi, wanted to see him. He wasn't specific though, he merely said that he had "Something to talk to him about".

Knowing his own luck at past schools, Keita knew that a call to the principal's office means either one of two things for him:

1. "You're in big trouble, young man!"

2. "You're in REALLY big trouble, young man!"

Keita groaned as he picked up his stuff and walked out of the building, nearly forgetting to change his shoes on the way out.

He walked into the faculty building at the center of the campus, following the signs until he found Principal Izumi's office. "Well, the moment of truth ladies and gentlemen" Keita thought as he swallowed a lump in his throat. He raised his hand and hit the door with 3 barely audible knocks, a moment of silence passing.

"It's open" He heard a voice from the other side.

Keita pushed the door open and saw Principal Izumi at his desk, writing something into a notebook. He closed the door behind him and stood for a moment.

"Please, have a seat" Principal Izumi offered.

"Um…okay" Keita mumbled as he sat in the chair in front of the principal's desk. "Uh, you wanted to speak with me?"

"Yes, I did" He looked up from his writing. "I wanted to let you know you passed the test with flying colors."

"Wait…waaah?" Keita scratched his head, not knowing what he meant.

"In other words, you did well controlling your power for the first time. You even managed to take down your first Shadow."

"I've been hearing people bring that up all day, sir. I mean I didn't do it alone." Keita objected, rubbing his neck.

"I don't blame them for being impressed, but I'm sure they've given Kazuhiro and Marina their regards as well" Principal Izumi reassured him.

"I hope so..." Keita grew quiet for a moment, a feeling of guilt wracking him. "So uh, Principal Izumi can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"That 'certain talent' that was needed to attend here, that talent is having a Persona…isn't it?"

"You catch on quickly" Principal Izumi nodded.

"Then how come I was let in anyways? I didn't technically _have_ one before last night."

Principal Izumi got up, motioning for Keita to join him. They both stood by the large window in the office, which had a great view of the campus. He could see students walking about, heading to their dorms or heading out with their friend's into the city.

"I figured you would grow into your power as time went on. And as I suspected, you did, granted a bit quickly" He said with a fatherly smile.

"Well uh, thank you" Keita mumbled.

"Keita, I have an important question to ask you" Principal Izumi's started, his voice growing serious. "Will you fight alongside us?"

"H-huh…?" Keita was flabbergasted. "What do you mean?"

Principal Izumi's expression changed to one of disgusted reminiscence. "Shadow's are destructive creatures born of darkness; a plague that commingles with our world, keeping the masses oblivious to the pain they cause. However, there are a select few whose eyes are opened to their existence, who have the power, the potential, needed to fight back."

"You mean Persona?"

He nodded.

Keita could only watch as Principal Izumi's face changed once more, to a look of turmoil.

"So many people have that potential, but only a select few can control it" He turned to Keita. "You, your peers and the faculty here are that select few."

Keita's eyes grew wider. "Wait, so does that mean he…?" He began internally.

"I won't force you though…"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Keita inquired.

"Fighting Shadows is no easy task and I could never force anyone into battle against their will" He explained. "Thus, I am asking you. Will you lend us your strength?"

Keita a very long and deep breath "If we have a shot at stopping them…I'll fight."

"What the hell am I saying? I'm no fighter!" His internal motivation seemed to be the opposite of how he acted.

"I had hoped you would say that" Principal Izumi sighed, relieved, as he extended his hand. Keita shook his hand in agreement. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it" Keita said in admiration.

"Since that is out of the way, I think it's about time you join a team" Principal Izumi began to explanation.

"Team…?"

"Here at St. Lucia's, students form teams, working together to fight off the Shadows. Strength in numbers, you know" Principal Izumi explained.

"Okay, that makes sense. So how do we make them?"

"Usually students recruit among their peers for whom they want on their team, however I usually check the person to see that the team will be balanced if the new teammate were to join" Principal Izumi said. "Since you did so well with Kazuhiro and Marina and your abilities balance out, I am willing to place you three together."

"Aw no way! That'd be great!" Keita grinned widely upon hearing Principal Izumi's proposition.

"You'll need a name though. How does Team Alpha sound?" He asked.

"Sounds good to me" Keita acknowledged.

"Right...Now that that is settled, you needn't stay any longer" Principal Izumi told him, opening his notebook once more.

"Alright, I'm out" Keita was about to grab his backpack.

"Oh, and one more thing…"

"Hmm…?"

"While this school does provide its students with leisure, I will not tolerate laziness" He informed him, his overall aura becoming very intimidating.

"Y-yes sir!" Keita broke out in a cold sweat.

"Glad we understand each other. Bye!" Principal Izumi bid Keita farewell, returning to his calm and happy demeanor.

Keita closed the door behind him with a pale expression. "The flying hell was that all about?" He asked himself. He walked through the front door of his dorm, hearing a commotion in the lounge. He found it full of students talking with their friends, doing homework and sleeping on the couches. A group of students were messing with the large TV, trying to hook…_something_ up to it. They bickered amongst each other about hooking up different chords under complex names that Keita didn't understand.

"Hey…" Keita turned around and saw Kaz walking into the lounge.

"Yo, Kaz, Kaz! I got some good news!" Keita informed him happily.

Kaz's eye's opened widely at Keita's sudden excitement. "Um…okay, what is it?" He asked.

"Wait, where's Marina-senpai? I need to tell her too!" Keita was practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

"I'm guessing she's in her dorm. But why do you…?" Before Kaz could finish his sentence, Keita ran out the door, motioning for Kaz to follow. "Hey! Wait up!" Kaz ran after him.

Keita ran across the square to Marina's dorm with a huge grin as Kaz tried desperately to keep up with him.

"Marina-senpai!" Keita called. They both spotted the girl. She was sitting on a bench outside of her dorm, fiddling with her cell phone.

"Oh hey Saeki-kun, what're you so excited for?" She asked him, surprised.

"Hey, hey…um….Do you remember how we fought that Shadow last night?"

"How can I not?" She asked, laughing awkwardly as she rubbed the back of her neck, indicating she was still sore.

"And I'm guessing you guys know I was brought into the principal's office?"

"Yeah, I heard from Shiki after school" Kaz explained.

"Well, while I was there Principal Izumi told me the three of us can make a team!" Keita cheered, sounding like his head was going to explode from the sheer amount of excitement. He caught the attention of many students, who looked on with looks of confusion.

"W-wait, seriously?" She asked him, her eyes widening.

"No way…" Kaz mumbled.

"Yeah, I'm good to go! I'm not lying!" Keita cheered happily. "So what do you guys say?"

"Well, it's been a while since I've been on an active combat team. Sure, I'm in!" Marina let out her hand, palm downwards. Keita put his hand over hers.

"Kaz, you in?" Keita asked.

Kaz scratched the back of his head for a moment, contemplating quietly.

"I get it if you-"

"Alright"

"Huh?"

He placed his large hand over theirs. "I'm in."

"Really? Alrighty then! Team Alpha, baby! Whooo!" Keita cheered as the three raised their hands together.

All of a sudden, everything around Keita dimmed darker and time seemed to stop dead in its tracks. A soft blue light gathered in front of him and took shape in an instant. A card, similar to the ones he had seen at the Sea of Unconsciousness appeared in front of him, its mask bearing side facing him. The card turned in mid air and flashed white. As the light faded, Keita saw what had appeared on the card; an abstract illustration of a man with a sack of supplies slung over his shoulder nearly walking off of a cliff with a dog accompanying him. The number 0 filled the circle at the bottom.

A voice spoke inside of Keita's head. "Thou art I…And I am thou…Thou hast established a new bond…It brings thee closer to thy destiny…Thou shalt receive our blessing when recruiting beings of the Fool Arcana…" With the words echoing away, the card faded into oblivion and time seemed to resume for Keita.

"You okay, Saeki-kun?" Marina asked.

"Huh?"

"You spaced out for a moment" She seemed a bit concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine" He assured her.

"His brain is still fried after last night" Kaz sighed jokingly.

"Who're you calling fried?" Keita yelped.

"No one, no one…" He chuckled, patting him on the back as he walked back to the dorm.

"Recruiting beings…? The heck does that mean?" Keita began to think to himself. "Meh, must be a Persona thing."

Marina got up and put her phone away. "Anyways, I'm gonna head to bed. Night!"

"Night, Senpai!"

With this, the trio headed off to bed for the night, a newly formed team. Alpha…The Beginning.


	10. Chapter 10: The Crimson Eyed Girl

Hello once again! Welcome to Chapter 10 of "Persona Academy". I got a question in the reviews from a person named "Torataro" asking me to reiterate the design for the Velvet Room in PA. Well to put it simply, the Velvet Room's design is basically a velvet building on a small island floating in the Sea of Unconsciousness. I hope that helped! :D Anywhoo, this was a fun chapter to write and I hope you enjoy! :D

Persona Academy

Chapter 10: The Crimson Eyed Girl

Keita woke up a bit earlier than usual, stretching and groaning loudly, feeling more relaxed then he ever had. He looked over the pseudo-balcony of his room and saw Kaz fast asleep on his stomach, his chainsaw snoring muffled by the pillow his face had plopped into.

Keita chuckled a bit at the sight. "Sleepin' like log…" He thought to himself. "Wait…what time is it?" He looked to his side and saw his clock read "6:00 AM".

"Oh sweet, I can get another hour of shut eye!" Keita cheered mentally as he lied back down. However, his slumber was short lived. A loud knocking was heard at the door. "Aaaagh! Damn it!" Keita jumped down and walked to the door, his feet freezing on the hardwood floor. "Shaddup…I'm tryin'a sleep" He grumbled.

"Someone at the door?"

"GAH!" Keita yelped as he turned around. Kaz was standing behind him, his hair sticking up in every conceivable direction. "Kaaaz! Hey buddy, uh, we don't have to leave yet! I mean come on, we need our sleep to-mmph" His sentence was half muffled as Kaz threw Keita's blazer onto his face. "Damn early birds!" Keita thought.

Kaz opened the door. "Can I help you?"

"Morning guys, sorry if I woke you" Marina apologized quietly.

"It's fine. What's going on?" Kaz asked quickly.

"Yeah, yeah, fine, peachy!" Keita acknowledged through the blazer on his face.

She kept herself from laughing. "Morning to you too Saeki-kun. Anyways, I got some news from the office. We've got another new kid going into your guy's homeroom class today" She explained, her eyes glinting with excitement.

"Another Persona user, eh? Could come in handy" Kaz mumbled to himself in a business-like voice, rubbing his chin in thought.

"So what's up, you want one of us to show 'em around?" Keita inquired further, still neglecting to pull the blazer off of his head.

"If they want you to, yeah" Marina answered.

After Keita and Kaz got ready, the three made the trek to the high school class building, with Marina bidding them adieu.

"So what do you think the new kid's gonna be like" Keita asked.

"Not too sure, we don't even know their name" Kaz clarified.

"True, true…" Keita mumbled, part of him wishing the new student was spared their fate of having to deal with Mr. Kuroki. But alas, it was unavoidable.

After changing their shoes, the two walked up to their class and took their seats, hardly saying a word the whole time. Keita could feel Mr. Kuroki's glare the moment he walked in. "Great, off to a good start" He thought sarcastically.

The bell rang for the class to begin and Mr. Kuroki got up. "Alright everyone, listen up! I was told this morning we're getting a new student in our class today! Does anyone know where said student is?" The class collectively shrugged. "Figures…probably skipping cla-" He was cut off as a knock sounded at the door. "Come in" Mr. Kuroki said nonchalantly.

The door opened up and the student walked in. The student was a rather short girl, little taller than 5 feet with jagged neck-length black hair. She wore a uniform similar to Ryoko's, trading a skirt for long black pants. However, instead of a blazer over her shirt and tie, she wore a long black trench coat which seemed to billow and flutter outward with her every movement.

Mr. Kuroki was a bit stunned. "So, you're our new student, huh?"

She looked up at him with eyes of a striking crimson color. "Yes, and I apologize for my belated arrival to class" She spoke calmly, her voice was a bit low and she had a very formal way of speaking. She bowed to her teacher in respect, which seemed to impress him

"So, tell the class you're name" He insisted. She turned to the class.

"Good morning everyone, my name is Akira Nazuka. Pleased to meet you all" She said, her formal speaking exuding a slight sound of confidence.

"So she's the new student huh?" Kaz mumbled under his breath.

"Quite the articulate one" Keita thought impressed.

"There's a seat over there, go ahead and get ready" Mr. Kuroki informed her, pointing at the seat 2 seats to the right from Keita's.

Akira nodded and walked over to her seat, pulling out a notebook from her backpack. She couldn't help but feel the eyes of some of her peers looking at her, which unnerved her a bit. She managed to keep it hidden though, focusing on getting ready for class.

"Can anyone say badass?" A male student in the far back whispered.

"I know, so cool!"

"Dude I have _never_ seen Mr. Kuroki go that easy on someone" A student by Keita whispered.

"I know, it's crazy" Another student replied in a hushed voice.

"Maybe he's not as bad as we cut him out to be…" Keita pondered.

"Does our little group of debaters feel like reciting the entirety of Catcher in the Rye by heart for us?" He demanded, irritated.

"And maybe a lawyer can kick a giant robot's ass in a fight" He thought sarcastically as he went back to his notes.

The lunch bell rang in what seemed like seconds to Keita, whom had been more occupied with drawing than listening to the lecture. He looked around the room but found no trace of Akira. "Hey Kaz, did you see her walk out?" Keita asked.

"Who…?"

"The new girl! Akira, I think her name was" Keita clarified.

"I think she walked down the hall that way" Kaz pointed to the leftmost door from where he sat. "Odd, since the lunch carts and cafeteria are the other way."

"Well, I'll check it out" Keita got up and made his way out.

"Um…okay" Kaz mumbled, shrugging since it seemed Keita volunteered to show her around.

Keita walked through the halls for a little while, thinking of where Akira could have gone off to. As he reached the 3rd floor, where the senior classes were, he noticed another flight of stairs. "Another floor…?" He questioned. He walked up the stairs and saw an unintelligible sign above it. In actuality, behind the door was the roof of the building. The first thing he noticed as he walked through was the view, which seemed so much higher than it looked from ground level. He swept his gaze and eventually noticed Akira sitting on the metal ventilation shaft, eating her lunch. As he walked towards her, she noticed him out of the corner of her eye. "Hey!" Keita greeted in a chipper tone.

Akira looked away from her food. "Hello…" She replied plainly.

"Hey, uh, I'm Keita Saeki. You know, from Mr. Kuroki's class?"

"Ah yes, you're the one Mr. Kuroki kept giving the stink eye towards" She replied coolly, closing her eyes as she took another bite of her food.

"S-so you noticed too, huh?" He laughed awkwardly before the conversation fell into silence.

"Is there something I can help you with?" She raised her eyebrow.

"Mind if I sit here?" He asked a bit abruptly.

"I see no harm in it" She shrugged. Keita plopped down on the makeshift seat.

"So, you like it here?" Keita asked, trying to start a conversation.

"I barely arrived this morning. I don't believe I've been here long enough to gather an opinion" She said frankly.

"Oh yeah, right. Well, I'm new here too. Well not _as_ new, but this is barely my first week here" Keita enlightened her.

"Is that so?" She muttered.

"So, you got your living arrangements set up?" Keita asked, again out of the blue.

"Actually, no" She replied

"Huh?"

"They said I'll simply move into the dorm of the team I join. So it's my first priority to find one."

"Oh really…? Well, Akira-chan, I was told if you need to be shown around I'm the guy for the job" Keita informed her proudly.

"I'll keep that in mind" She nodded as she finished her meal. "But, please don't call me that"

"Huh?"

"I don't know you well enough for you to refer to me on a first name basis and the same applies to myself towards you" She asserted in a business-like voice.

"O-oh uh, I'm sorry" Keita apologized, feeling his mood drop.

"It's nothing personal, I assure you" She tried to clarify.

"Right, so uh, Nazuka-…san, right?" Keita corrected himself.

"Yes, thank you" The lunch bell rang throughout the building once more, signifying its end. "Class is about to start again. If you'll excuse me Saeki-san" Akira took her leave and left for class, Keita dragging behind her.

After a while, the school day had ended. Kaz turned around and saw Keita with his head resting atop his folded arms. "So Keita, how'd it go with Akira?" He asked awkwardly.

"Bleh…" Keita groaned into his sleeve.

"Uhhh…"

"Not good" He clarified.

"Ohhh…"

"Yeah, she didn't seem too interested when I asked her" Keita explained to him.

"Give it some time" Kaz suggested.

"Yeah…Say, let's get outta here" Keita got up from his seat, slinging his bag over his shoulder as Kaz followed him. Outside the building, the two found Akira sitting on bottom stair, contemplating in silence. However, the usual sounds of the campus were disrupted by, what could only be described as, the sound of an enormous herd stampeding in the direction of the building.

"What the…" Akira got up and looked to her left. Keita and Kaz followed her gaze and saw an absolutely enormous group of students heading right towards them.

"K-KAZ! What the hell is that?" Keita screamed, trying to be heard over the stampede. No reply. "Damn it Kaz! Now's not the time to be all stoi…Kaz?" Keita looked over his shoulder and saw Kaz face palming.

Akira's eyes widened, though she managed to not run away in terror, as many probably would seeing a giant group of people stampeding towards them.

The group was mostly male students, with a few female students dotting the group, yelling rowdily with white headbands acting as a uniform garment. They ran up to where Akira was, the girl growing increasingly worried by this.

"MEN! Separate!" A scruffy voice commanded from the middle of the crowd. On command the group moved to either side as the towering leader of the group walked up. His hair was shaggy and brown with a rather roughed up complexion, complete with bandage on his left cheek covering a, probably fake, wound. From the waist down he was dressed like any other student. But from the waist up, he wore a white karate gi with the sleeves roughly torn off.

"My god, it's like everything from the waist up got thrown into a blender with a kung fu movie" Keita thought to himself.

Akira blinked in confusion. "Can I help you?"

"Yes you can, Mistress of the Black Cloak!" He spoke proudly.

"I'm sorry, mistress of what?"

"Why your coat, of course" He pointed out with a hardy laugh. The mob he traveled with laughed along with him with a similar laughter. "I was told by one of my subordinates of your entrance to your first class. Truly being able to tame the raging demon that is Mr. Kuroki is a marvelous feat!" He praised her.

"I just spoke to him like a student should speak to an authority figure…" She downplayed the student's statement awkwardly.

"Nonsense! Your words show an inner strength. A fire in your heart that I see burning within you, subdued by the veil of conformity that wreathes your soul" He boomed with his group cheering behind him.

"Is this guy for real?" Keita mumbled, feeling a sweat drop roll down his head.

Suddenly, the scruffy student looked up and pointed towards the two. "YOU!" He roared.

"GAH!" Keita yelped.

"NO! NOT YOU!"

"Wait wah…?"

"He means me…" Kaz admitted.

"Huh, why?"

Kaz stepped down from the steps with his hands in his coat pockets and walked closer the student.

"Kazuhiro Ishimura! What are you doing here?" He yelled in anger.

"Just doing my studies, same as usual" Kaz replied calmly despite the auditory abuse his ears were receiving.

"So, who are you…?" Keita asked the noisy man.

"I am Akio Ashikaga, hot blooded leader of Team Sigma!" He bellowed, taking on some sort of martial arts stance while his mob clapped. "Now speak your name as well!"

"Me? I'm Keita Saeki" He introduced himself.

"What is your association with my sworn nemesis?" He demanded.

"Well…I'm a friend…"

"THEN YOU ARE MY ENEMY AS WELL!" He declared with a point of his finger.

"Huh? Wait a minute, what's your beef with Kaz?" Keita prodded.

"That man shamed our master in a karate tournament!" A group member yelled.

"He crushed his dream of being the regional champion!"

"You shamed me in front of my entire team!" He yelled.

"Tch, shamed? He didn't shame you, he simply beat you like the novice you are" A sharp voice spoke. It was Ryoko, walking down the stairs with a scowl on her face.

"Oh ho ho! Ryoko Ishida! So joyous to see your frigid glare once more" He bowed in a sarcastic display of respect.

Kaz's face twisted slightly for some reason. "So what are you talking about with the new girl?"

"Ah yes, Mistress of the Black Cloak…Ms…"

"Nazuka…"

"Ms. Nazuka, my team wishes to have you join our ranks. Together, we can shake this campus with the power of our spirits!" He declared.

"Um…well, uh…I don't really think…"

"Oh I insist! Team Sigma could use a person like you!"

"Join us!"

"Join us Mistress of the Black Cloak!" The group grew into an uproar.

Akira's brow furrowed with confusion. "Seriously, I'd rather no-…"

"Hold it right there!" A collection of voices demanded. Everyone turned to the path opposite of Team Sigma's. A large group, similar in size to Team Sigma came walking in an orderly march. All of them wore cloaks of different colors over their uniforms and hair in extravagant styles. Above them all, a person wearing a long blue Victorian evening gown and wide brimmed hat was seated in what could only be a throne held up by some of the group members. An umbrella hid her face.

"Psst, Kaz who's the lady" Keita asked quietly.

"Keita…about tha-…"

Suddenly, the figure jumped down from their throne and closed their umbrella. Team Sigma as a whole backed away with horrified looks on their faces. "Huh? Guys…? Guuuuys….? What's wrong?" Keita asked, alarmed. A very…odd giggle came from the person, Keita turning around from the sudden noise. "What in the…"

"Why hello there boys, fancy seeing you here!" Suddenly, the figure grabbed the edge of their hat and threw it aside, revealing their neck-length light pink hair. It turns out as revealed from the voice and lack of hat, the mystery woman wasn't a woman at all! The mystery student looked up, revealing he was a rather effeminate looking male student, wearing what was hopefully a disguise.

"THAT'S A DUDE? Keita screamed, backing away as well.

"Oui, ma cherie. I guess my beauty can lead to much confusion in the hearts of others. I don't blame you though" He said, giving Keita a flirtatious wink with a sky blue eye.

"BEAUTY? WHAT THE FU-!" Keita screamed, feeling his skin crawl.

"Men! Prepare for battle!" Akio announced urgently.

"Oh Aki-chan no need for violence. I merely came to speak with the girl" The pink haired boy ensured him, throwing aside the blue dress, uncovering his uniform, which to the joy of many, was a boys uniform.

"H-huh…? Me?" Akira asked, alarmed and a bit horrified.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Akio screamed, his brows furrowing in what could only described as fear.

"This guy scares me more than super macho man over there…" Keita whispered to Kaz.

"You're telling me…" Kaz shuddered.

"And you are…? Miss…ter…?" Akira corrected herself mid-sentence.

"Ah yes I apologize, where are my manners? I am…"

"CREEPY!" A group of Team Sigma interrupted from the middle crowd.

His eye twitched momentarily, before a smile spread across his lips. "Excuse me, but would the opinionated young man like to have a personal visit to my dorm room later this evening? I'll have my team escort you personal-…"

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Then be a doll and pipe down. Now as I was saying I am Reijiro Aihara, leader of Team Lambda" He revealed.

"I…see" Akira mumbled, her eyes darting back and forth, trying to find a way out of her current predicament.

"So what do you say? How about you join me, ma belle?" Reijiro proposed, speaking in a hushed, almost seductive tone.

"E-e-eh?" Akira exclaimed, sounding a bit flustered.

"Hell no! You are not taking our Mistress of the Black Cloak!" Akio snapped.

"I told you, my name is Nazuka!" Akira shouted.

"Well I don't see your name on her, Aki-chan" Reijiro retorted.

"I don't see yours either!" Akio stepped forward, his fists seemingly ready for combat.

"Now, now, I don't think we need to debate about this. Its obvious Ms. Nazuka would not wish to join a group of meatheads like the lot of you. Right, Ms Nazuka?" Reijiro tone went from condescending to cheerful as he spoke to Akira.

"MEATHEADS, MEATHEADS EVERYWHERE!" Team Lambda chanted.

"Huh? Well uhhh…" Akira was growing more and more nervous over the whole situation.

"NO! Ms. Nazuka, you must join us! Pay no mind to this pack of weirdos!"

"Guys…?" Kaz mumbled.

"You're one to talk, Mr. 'Too busy fighting to bathe'!"

"Guys…!"

"I have more important things to do! And how would you know about my bathing habits!"

"Because I smell you from a mile away!"

"GUYS!" Kaz finally spoke up in a loud booming shout.

"WHAT?" Team Sigma and Lambda responded.

"She's running…" Kaz groaned. The two teams looked to where Akira was before only to see a cloud of dust as she ran away.

"Idiots…" Ryoko groaned as she walked off nonchalantly.

Meanwhile, much to Akira's horror the crowd of students began to give chase, running after her like she was fresh game. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her.

"Stop Ms. Nazuka! No need to run from your friends!" Akio informed loudly.

"Please ma belle, come to us!" Reijiro pleaded desperately.

"Will you guys back off? You guys are making her run!" Keita shouted.

After running through some halls and taking as many corners as possible, Akira finally found refuge behind one of the college class buildings. She fell to her knees, her hand to her chest as her breath became heaving and shallow. The yelling of Team Sigma, Lambda and the two members of Alpha could be heard in the distance.

"Crazy people…I'm surrounded by crazy people" Akira groaned, exhausted. Akira froze as she heard footsteps walking towards her location. "Noooo…" She curled into a ball and tried to keep herself out of view.

"Anyone there?" A female voice spoke. The footsteps grew closer. "Oh hey, what're you doing back here?" The girl spoke.

"Hiding…" Akira answered frankly.

"From who?" The girl asked.

"_Everyone…_"

"Wait…you wouldn't happen to be…?"

"Akira Nazuka, yes. I arrived this morning."

"Ah cool, I'm Marina Tsujimoto, nice to meetcha!"

"Shhhhh! They'll hear you!" Akira commanded in a hushed voice. The sound of the stampede converged on their location. "Too late…"

"Ah don't worry about them. Come on" Marina pulled the other girl up, causing her to yelp as she was startled by the sudden motion. Marina had to practically drag Akira by the arm since she was trying to pull away, her heels leaving trails in the ground.

"Noooooo…" Akira groaned.

"There she is!" Akio shouted as his team cheered behind him.

"There you are!" Reijiro cheered.

"Marina-senpai!" Keita and Kaz shouted.

"Well, it seems you're a hot item on your first day. You're pretty lucky" Marina chuckled.

"Not the way I see it…" Akira grumbled, yanking her arm from Marina's grasp.

"Oh come on, relax! You gonna join any of them?"

"Well…"

"If I'd suggest, those two are part of Team Alpha like me" Marina spoke in a persuasive tone as she signaled towards Keita and Kaz.

"Are they as bad as the other two?" Akira asked.

"Other two? Oh noooo, they're harmless compared to Akio and Reijiro" Marina ensured her.

"I can hear yoooou!" Reijiro yelled, offended.

"We're harmless! Aren't we men?" Akio asked his team who agreed with him as they all made phony gentle bows.

"Whatever you say, karate man" Keita sneered in his head.

"It's settled then, I'm joining Team Alpha" Akira yelled resolute, feeling the stress from before push off from her.

"What seriously? Awesome, welcome aboard!" Keita cheered with a closed-eyed grin.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT?" Team Sigma and Team Lambda screamed at the top of their lungs.

"You have stolen our maiden from us! You will rue this day you two! RUUUUUUE IT I tell you!" Akio bellowed as he pointed at them indignantly before his group grabbed him and all marched away, his point unceasing even as they carried him up over their heads.

"Hmph, come on boys let's leave. We've been exposed to enough of these meatheads for one day. Au revoir, till we meet again" Reijiro bid Team Alpha adieu with a bow before he and his group all left.

"What just…happened?" Akira asked, dumbfounded.

"You got your team, like you were saying earlier!" Keita informed her in an ever chipper tone.

"As long as you're not like those two, I see no problems in the near future" Akira spoke, regaining her composure completely.

Marina felt Kaz tap her shoulder before he crouched slightly and whispered "You sure about this?"

"Yeah, I think she'll do fine. I scanned her Persona during the whole commotion. She'll balance out rather nicely" Marina confirmed with confidence.

"Good…" Kaz sighed in relief.

"Well, I guess we'll have to help our new teammate with moving her stuff" Keita shouted to get Kaz and Marina's attention.

"Right! C'mon Kaz" Marina signaled.

"N-no, I'm fine. Honestly, I can do this on my own" Akira insisted.

"No, no, I insist! We can help!" Marina sided with Keita.

"Well, someone's gonna have to do the heavy lifting" Keita said, unenthused by the thought.

"Yeah…" Marina scratched the back of her head.

"NOT IT!"

"NOT IT!"

"Wait wha-?" Kaz wondered, confused.

"Too bad, big guy!" Keita said as he and Marina chuckled.

"Hey, no fair!" Kaz objected over their laughter.

"This will be…a most interesting school year" Akira sighed, chuckling softly.

"You don't have anything too heavy, do you?" Kaz sublimely prayed that she would say no.

"I have a computer and a few books…" Akira answered, rubbing her neck awkwardly.

"Damn it, just my luck…hey wait up!" Kaz ran after Keita with Marina and Akira following shortly behind them.

Meanwhile, Principal Izumi looked down on them from a window in his office, chuckling softly before closing his curtain and sitting down. "Four members already, huh? Fate must be smiling on you, Mr. Saeki" He thought as he chuckled with a smile on his face.

….

Authors Note: I'm terribly sorry this chapter took so long to come out. For a while I had a bad case of writers block. School didn't exactly help either, but hopefully I'll be able to get back to releasing chapters at the latest once a week. I hope this chapter was worth the wait, if not for action than at least for comedy :D Also I apologize if anyone finds Reijiro's French a bit off, I don't speak French naturally and had to use different references and translation sites to try and get the words to match what he meant ._.

I greatly appreciate any reviews I can get and hopefully many others will enjoy my story as well.


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